Precious Nwonu, Enugu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise for November 28, 2026, as part of efforts to test its electoral technology ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The exercise will simulate the presidential election and assess the performance of the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and electronic transmission of results.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, announced the date on Thursday during a dialogue at Chatham House in London, organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative.
The discussion was themed, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.”
In a statement issued by the commission, Amupitan said the mock exercise would help determine whether the accreditation and electronic results transmission systems were functioning effectively before the general elections.
“On the 28th of this month, we will conduct a mock accreditation and voting exercise across all states of the federation to simulate the presidential election and verify that we have gotten both accreditation and electronic result transmission right,” he said.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that the commission had introduced safeguards to prevent polling unit results containing inaccurate figures or evidence of over-voting from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal, IReV.
He said an audit conducted after the 2023 general elections identified collation centres as the major source of problems associated with election result management and declaration.
According to him, the commission has therefore developed measures to ensure that inaccurate results are not transmitted from polling units to the portal.
Amupitan explained that INEC opted to improve its existing electoral technology rather than introduce a completely new system because of the limited time remaining before the 2027 elections.
On concerns about BVAS malfunctioning during the 2023 polls, he said the commission was constructing climate-controlled storage facilities across the states to protect the machines from extreme temperatures.
He added that additional BVAS devices had been purchased, 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 receive multiple devices.
On funding, Amupitan said INEC had received a significant portion of its 2027 election budget but was awaiting the release of the outstanding allocation.
He expressed hope that the remaining funds would be released before the end of November, noting that part of the money would support the recruitment and welfare of ad hoc election workers.
The chairman also acknowledged that the controversies surrounding the 2023 presidential election had weakened public confidence in the commission.
He, however, said subsequent elections had provided opportunities to identify and address operational challenges.
He cited the governorship elections in Anambra and Osun, Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls, the Ekiti governorship election and 16 legislative by-elections as part of the commission’s efforts to improve its performance.
According to him, the results of the recent Anambra and Osun governorship elections were announced the day after voting, unlike previous exercises that experienced prolonged collation processes.
Amupitan also denied operating an X account linked to a controversial political post, saying an independent forensic examination had been obtained and the matter referred to the Department of State Services and the Inspector-General of Police for investigation.
He reaffirmed his commitment to the Constitution and the Electoral Act, insisting that his previous involvement in political disputes was strictly in his capacity as a legal practitioner.
The INEC chairman urged young Nigerians to participate in the electoral process and avoid spreading misinformation ahead of the elections.
Meanwhile, the commission said it had commenced the distribution of non-sensitive election materials to some parts of the country as preparations intensify.
INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during a meeting with a delegation from Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, led by the country’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Isaac Parashina.
Gumus said the commission had completed nine scheduled activities and was stepping up preparations following an assessment of its readiness across the six geopolitical zones.
She explained that the assessment was designed to identify challenges, evaluate the level of preparedness and determine areas requiring further attention.
According to her, non-sensitive materials were almost ready, with consignments already being transported to some zones.
Gumus also said the production of Permanent Voter Cards had been completed, adding that most states had received the first and second batches, while collection was ongoing.
She described PVC collection as an important part of the preparations and urged eligible voters to obtain their cards ahead of the elections.
The commissioner added that INEC was conducting capacity-building programmes for personnel at its headquarters and state offices, while procurement and deployment of BVAS devices were also ongoing.
On the proposed introduction of aspirant voting, Gumus said the commission could not implement the arrangement without an amendment to the Electoral Act.
She said INEC was also using the meeting with the Kenyan delegation to exchange ideas and share technical knowledge on election administration.
Speaking during the visit, Parashina said the delegation was in Nigeria to learn from INEC’s experience ahead of Kenya’s general elections scheduled for August 2027.
He noted that both countries faced similar electoral challenges and said Kenya was particularly interested in Nigeria’s experience with diaspora voting and arrangements for special interest groups.
According to him, Kenya recorded diaspora voting in about 12 countries during its last general election but plans to expand the number to approximately 26.
Parashina described Nigeria’s electoral experience as important to the continent and expressed his country’s interest in strengthening its relationship with INEC.
Nigeria’s 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
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