The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise for November 28, 2026, to test the readiness of its electronic systems ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission has also commenced the dispatch of non-sensitive electoral materials to various geopolitical zones across the country.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), announced the exercise during a dialogue at Chatham House in London. The details were confirmed in a press statement issued in Abuja and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, explaining that the exercise will evaluate the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and electronic result transmission portals.
“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”.
The INEC Chairman disclosed that technical safeguards are now in place to block inaccurate polling unit figures or over-voting data from reaching the Result Viewing Portal (IReV). He stated that a post-2023 audit traced the primary election result management problems to collation centres rather than polling units.
Professor Amupitan confirmed that the commission is constructing climate-controlled storage facilities nationwide to shield BVAS devices from extreme temperatures. INEC has also procured additional machines and slashed the maximum number of registered voters per device from 1,250 to 850, ensuring that larger polling units receive multiple devices.
The commission has received a substantial portion of its 2027 election budget and expects the outstanding balance before the end of November. These pending funds are designated for the recruitment and welfare of ad hoc election personnel.
The INEC Chairman also acknowledged the damage done to the commission’s reputation during the last polls.
“First and foremost, let me speak about what happened in 2023, which resulted in a significant trust deficit for INEC, damage so large that the commission has not yet fully recovered from it,” Amupitan noted.
He, however, made reference to the recent governorship elections in Anambra, Osun, and Ekiti, alongside 16 legislative by-elections, as proof of systemic recovery. Results for these off-cycle polls were declared the day after voting, which he presented as a major operational improvement.
Amupitan also denied operating a controversial account on X (formerly Twitter). He revealed that an independent forensic review has been referred to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of Police for investigations, as he reiterated his commitment to the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
In a related development, INEC National Commissioner, Professor Rhoda Gumus, received a delegation from Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in Abuja. She confirmed that the mass production of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) is complete, and the distribution of non-sensitive materials has commenced across the six geopolitical zones after extensive assessments.
The Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Isaac Parashina, who led the visiting delegation, stated that their mission is to understudy Nigeria’s preparations ahead of Kenya’s August 2027 elections. He added that Kenya seeks to expand its diaspora voting coverage from 12 to about 26 countries, adding that they view Nigeria’s democratic process as an essential learning model for the continent.
Nigeria’s next presidential and National Assembly elections are officially slated for January 16, 2027. The governorship and State Assembly elections will follow on February 6, 2027.
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