The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is planning to establish voting centres for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in nine local government areas of Plateau State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Prof. Samuel Egwu, disclosed this on Wednesday at a meeting with leaders of political parties and other stakeholders at the Commission’s headquarters in Jos.
Egwu said the planned arrangement was in line with Nigeria’s obligations under the Kampala Declaration on Internally Displaced Persons, which guarantees displaced citizens the right to participate in elections.
He said INEC was preparing for the possibility that some displaced persons might be unable to return to their communities before the elections due to security challenges.
“We don’t even know what will happen next week, but by the facts that we know now, we may have to prepare for IDP voting in nine local governments out of 17,” he said.
The affected local government areas are Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Jos South, Mangu, Kanam, Kanke, Wase and Bokkos.
According to the REC, where security concerns prevent displaced voters from returning to their communities, INEC would establish voting arrangements at their places of displacement.
He, however, clarified that votes cast by IDPs would be collated and counted as part of the wards and constituencies where the displaced voters originally belong.
“Nigeria is a signatory to the Kampala Declaration on internally displaced persons, and that means we signed as a country to do everything possible for everybody, including people displaced from their original homes, to vote during election,” Egwu said.
“Their votes will still be taken to be counted as part of their wards for their taking part in choosing their local leaders in 2027,” he added.
Egwu called on political parties to work with INEC to identify and track displaced persons to facilitate proper documentation ahead of the elections.
He acknowledged that implementing the arrangement would be costly but said the Commission was committed to ensuring that displaced citizens were not disenfranchised.
The REC expressed hope that peace would return to the affected communities before the 2027 elections, allowing displaced persons to return to their ancestral homes.
“Our prayer is that maybe normalcy will return and people can return to their original abode. But should that not happen, they will have the chance to be able to vote,” he said.
The meeting, according to Egwu, formed part of INEC’s ongoing engagement with political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the engagement was taking place 129 days before the elections and that more meetings would be held as preparations progressed.
Egwu said sustained engagement with political parties was essential to the successful conduct of the elections, describing civil society organisations as “natural allies” in strengthening democracy.
On the electoral timetable, the REC said INEC would publish the final list of candidates for the presidential and National Assembly elections on September 12, 2026, while the final list for governorship and State House of Assembly elections would be published on October 10, 2026.
He also disclosed that 121,821 new voters were registered in Plateau State during the latest Continuous Voter Registration exercise, with females accounting for 65,928.
The Commission recorded 38,399 requests for voter transfers, while about 95,000 Permanent Voter Cards from previous registration cycles remained uncollected in the state.
Egwu urged political actors to conduct their campaigns with decorum and avoid actions capable of undermining the credibility and peaceful conduct of the electoral process.
