The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise for November 28, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen its technological capacity and restore public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, announced this on Thursday during a high-level dialogue at Chatham House, London, organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) under the theme, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.”
Amupitan assured Nigerians that the commission was committed to conducting free, fair and credible elections in 2027, citing improvements recorded in recent off-cycle elections and new technological safeguards introduced to address shortcomings identified during the 2023 general elections.
Acknowledging that the controversies surrounding the 2023 presidential election had significantly damaged public confidence in INEC, the chairman said the commission had used subsequent elections to identify operational weaknesses and strengthen its accreditation, voting and result management processes.
He specifically cited the Anambra and Osun governorship elections, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council polls, Ekiti governorship election and 16 legislative by-elections as evidence of improved electoral administration.
According to him, the recent elections in Anambra and Osun demonstrated significant progress, particularly in the timely declaration of results.
He recalled that the 2021 Anambra governorship election took about five days to conclude, while administrative reforms introduced under his leadership had enabled the commission to declare results in the two states a day after voting.
Addressing concerns about the credibility of electronic result transmission, Amupitan identified insecurity, logistics and result management as INEC’s major priorities ahead of the 2027 elections.
He disclosed that the commission’s post-2023 assessment identified collation centres, rather than polling units, as the major sources of discrepancies in election results.
To address the problem, he said INEC had introduced technical validation mechanisms to prevent inaccurate results and figures indicating over-voting from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
He explained that results would undergo validation at the polling-unit level before being transmitted to the portal, assuring Nigerians that figures displayed on IReV would reflect verified results.
The chairman also disclosed that INEC had considered introducing an entirely new electoral technology for 2027 but opted to upgrade its existing infrastructure because of the limited time available before the elections.
On concerns about the malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the 2023 elections, particularly those linked to extreme heat and storage conditions, he said the commission was establishing climate-controlled storage facilities across the states.
He added that additional BVAS devices had been procured, while the maximum number of registered voters assigned to each machine had been reduced from 1,250 to 850. Polling units with more than 850 registered voters would therefore be provided with multiple devices.
The November 28 nationwide mock exercise, he said, would test the upgraded systems, simulate the presidential election and assess the effectiveness of voter accreditation and electronic result transmission.
On election financing, Amupitan confirmed that INEC had received a substantial portion of its 2027 election budget but was awaiting the release of the outstanding balance.
He said part of the outstanding funds would cover the recruitment and welfare of ad hoc election personnel, adding that the commission had received assurances that the money would be released before the end of November.
The chairman also dismissed allegations questioning his political neutrality following social media claims linking his telephone number to a controversial account on X, formerly Twitter.
He denied operating any X account and disclosed that an independent forensic assessment had been obtained, while the matter had been referred to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of Police for investigation.
Amupitan further rejected suggestions that his previous legal representation in political disputes could compromise his impartiality, insisting that his activities before becoming INEC chairman were strictly within his professional responsibilities as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
He maintained that his loyalty was to the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act, stressing that all constitutional institutions and public office holders must operate within the framework of the rule of law.
On allegations of irregularities in the voters’ register, including claims of an 85 per cent increase in registered voters in a ward in Ebonyi State, he said the commission had investigated and resolved the complaint in accordance with established statutory procedures.
He noted that the Electoral Act provided opportunities for members of the public to raise claims, objections and requests for certified true copies of the voters’ register.
Amupitan urged Nigerian youths to remain actively involved in the democratic process and resist the spread of misinformation, which he described as a major threat to the country’s democracy.
He called on citizens to verify information before sharing it and to contribute constructively towards strengthening democratic institutions.
The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
