The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned political parties, candidates and their supporters in Delta State against violence, vote-buying, intimidation and the spread of fake election results ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Sir Etekamba Udo Umoren, gave the warning on Wednesday at a stakeholders’ engagement on preparations for the elections in Asaba.

Umoren said political competition must not be allowed to threaten public peace, stressing that no political ambition justified the loss of lives or destruction of property.

“No political ambition is worth the loss of human life, the destruction of property or the disruption of public peace,” he said.

The REC also warned political parties against announcing election results outside the authority and procedures established by law.

He urged parties to educate their supporters against circulating fabricated results, misleading reports and unverified allegations against electoral officials and security agencies.

The warning came as two members of the Delta State House of Assembly raised concerns over alleged changes to the ward structure in Warri South Local Government Area, calling on INEC to urgently review the arrangement.

The lawmakers, Austin Uroye, representing Warri South Constituency I, and Benson Obire, representing Constituency II, alleged that INEC had introduced a new arrangement increasing the number of wards in the local government to 20 after political parties had conducted their primaries and candidates had been cleared.

Uroye said information recently uploaded on INEC’s portal showed that some wards had been moved between the two constituencies, while other areas had been added to the electoral structure.

He said the development had created confusion because polling unit coordinates and electoral information previously available to stakeholders no longer corresponded with the new arrangement.

“How are we expected to conduct an election under these circumstances? Where will voters be expected to cast their ballots? How can we properly organise the election when the existing electoral records do not align with the new arrangement?” he asked.

Uroye said stakeholders should have been consulted before any changes to the existing ward structure were introduced.

“If there is a need for ward delineation or any review of the existing structure, I believe the appropriate thing would be to engage stakeholders and allow the process to follow due procedure,” he said.

He warned that affected parties could seek legal redress if the matter was not resolved.

Obire supported his colleague’s position, saying political parties had conducted their primaries based on the existing ward arrangement and their candidates had been screened, cleared and issued certificates before the new information emerged.

“How can this happen at this stage? Is this the way to prepare for a credible election? The answer is no,” he said.

He appealed to the REC to engage INEC’s national headquarters and ensure that the concerns were addressed.

Umoren, in his address, said INEC was intensifying preparations for the 2027 elections through improved logistics, technological readiness, staff training, security coordination and voter education.

He disclosed that Delta State had 3,525,988 registered voters, according to figures contained in the address of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, in October 2026.

He said the large number of registered voters made it necessary for the commission to ensure an accurate voters’ register, effective collection of Permanent Voter Cards and transparent election administration.

The REC said the commission had concluded the three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise conducted between August 2025 and July 2026, subject to applicable verification processes.

He urged eligible voters to collect their PVCs through designated channels and participate in the display of the voters’ register to identify errors and raise objections in accordance with the law.

Umoren warned that multiple voter registration, impersonation and unlawful possession of more than one voter’s card were offences punishable by law.

On electoral technology, he said INEC would continue to strengthen the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal to improve transparency and public confidence.

He, however, noted that technology alone could not guarantee credible elections without adequate training, infrastructure and proper implementation.

“Technology must strengthen confidence, not become a source of confusion or misinformation,” he said.

The REC assured political parties that INEC would remain neutral and provide a level playing field for all candidates. He also warned commission officials against partisanship, inducement and any conduct capable of compromising the commission’s integrity.

He said established cases of misconduct or breaches of the commission’s rules would be addressed in accordance with applicable laws and disciplinary procedures.

On security, Umoren called on security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security to sustain consultations, conduct risk assessments and strengthen arrangements to protect voters, electoral personnel, election materials and collation centres.

He said security planning should cover the pre-election period, campaigns, PVC collection, voting, collation and the post-election period.

The REC also expressed concern over the use of artificial intelligence to manipulate photographs, fabricate audio recordings and produce misleading videos capable of deceiving voters.

He urged journalists to verify election-related information before publication, warning that false reports could create confusion, distrust and violence.

“Delta State will need a media environment that values accuracy as much as speed,” he said.

Umoren called on political parties, civil society organisations, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups and community leaders to promote peaceful participation and voter education at the grassroots.

He said the commission was paying attention to the geographical challenges in the state, particularly riverine communities, which required early logistics planning and appropriate transportation arrangements.

The REC directed electoral officers to assess their facilities, storage arrangements, power supply, communication equipment and accessibility ahead of the elections.

He added that INEC would strengthen the recruitment, screening and training of ad hoc personnel to ensure that only qualified and competent officials were deployed.

He urged women, youths and persons with disabilities to participate actively in the electoral process, stressing that no eligible citizen should be excluded because of barriers to electoral information or polling facilities.

“The people of Delta State deserve an electoral process that is transparent, orderly, inclusive and credible. They deserve to have confidence that their votes matter, that electoral officials will perform their duties impartially and that the rules will be applied consistently,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel Etaifo Erale, assured residents that security agencies would work together to ensure peaceful elections.

Erale said the police and other security agencies would monitor political activities, protect citizens’ rights and provide a level playing field for political parties.

He said anyone who violated the law would be dealt with, irrespective of their political affiliation or the candidate they supported.

The state Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by his Senior Political Adviser, Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, said the government would support INEC in conducting free, fair and peaceful elections.

Aguariavwodo said political parties and candidates should be allowed to campaign freely, provided they conducted themselves peacefully and respected the rights of others.

He warned that the government would not tolerate violence or lawlessness during the campaign period.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Delta State chapter, Rev. Lucky Osagbakhoe, represented by Dongo Gyang, urged politicians not to treat elections as a do-or-die affair.

“Leadership comes from God, and we must all recognise that political positions are not matters of life and death. Elections should not be treated as a do-or-die affair,” Gyang said.

Similarly, the Chief Imam of IPG Central Mosque, Asaba, Dr Adekola Yinusa Adekunle, called on politicians to regard public office as a trust from God and remain accountable to the people.

He warned against electoral malpractice, urging politicians and voters not to falsify or sell their votes and election results.

“The Qur’an teaches that killing an innocent soul is like killing the entire human race. There must be no blood on anyone’s hands because of an election,” he said.

He urged candidates to accept election outcomes peacefully and be magnanimous in victory, while pledging that Muslim leaders would discourage their members from participating in electoral violence.

The Asagba of Asaba, HRM Prof. Epiphany Azinge, represented by Chief Anthony Ozele, said traditional rulers had an important role in promoting peaceful elections because of their closeness to the people.

He urged political actors and voters to focus on issues rather than violence, warning against the shedding of blood over political power, which he described as temporary.

Azinge also pledged the support of traditional rulers for voter education and sensitisation on the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and voting procedures.

He expressed hope that the 2027 elections would be free, fair and properly conducted.

The stakeholders’ engagement was organised by INEC in Delta State to strengthen collaboration among political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations, the media and other groups ahead of the 2027 general elections.