The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise on November 28, 2026, as part of efforts to test its technological readiness and strengthen safeguards ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Commission also assured Nigerians that its upgraded electoral system would prevent inaccurate results and figures indicating over-voting from being uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), insisting that the new safeguards would address some of the major controversies that undermined public confidence in the 2023 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed 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.”
According to an official statement issued by Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Amupitan said the Commission had identified result management, insecurity and logistics as its major priorities for the 2027 elections.
Addressing concerns over the credibility of the 2023 presidential election, the INEC chairman acknowledged that the controversies surrounding the exercise had created a significant trust deficit for the Commission, adding that INEC was working to rebuild public confidence through operational reforms.
He said the Commission had used subsequent off-cycle elections to identify weaknesses and improve its processes, citing the Anambra and Osun governorship elections, Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls, Ekiti governorship election and 16 legislative by-elections as evidence of progress.
Amupitan noted that administrative improvements had helped INEC conclude the Anambra and Osun governorship elections and declare results the day after voting, unlike previous experiences characterised by prolonged and inconclusive contests.
On electronic result management, he explained that INEC’s post-2023 assessment identified collation centres as the major source of discrepancies in election results rather than polling units.
He said the Commission had consequently introduced technical validation mechanisms to ensure that results containing inaccuracies or over-voting would not be uploaded to IReV.
According to him, the safeguards would ensure that only validated results appear on the portal, thereby strengthening transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that the Commission had upgraded its existing electoral technology rather than introduce an entirely new system, given the limited time available before the 2027 elections.
On concerns over the malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the 2023 elections, particularly in areas affected by extreme heat and poor storage conditions, Amupitan said INEC was constructing climate-controlled storage facilities across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He added that the Commission had procured additional BVAS devices and reduced the maximum number of registered voters assigned to each machine from 1,250 to 850 to improve efficiency and minimise technical disruptions on election day.
On election financing, Amupitan disclosed that INEC had received a substantial portion of its 2027 election budget but was awaiting the release of the outstanding balance.
He said the outstanding funds included provisions for 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 INEC chairman also dismissed allegations questioning his political neutrality following social media claims linking his phone number to a controversial X account, stating that he had never operated an account on the platform.
He said an independent forensic review had been obtained and the matter referred to the Department of State Services and the Inspector-General of Police for investigation.
Amupitan further defended his past legal engagements in political disputes, insisting that his previous appearances in such cases were strictly in his professional capacity as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria before his appointment as INEC chairman.
He reaffirmed his commitment to the Constitution and the Electoral Act, stressing that his loyalty was to the rule of law and the nation’s democratic institutions.
On allegations of irregularities in the voter register, including claims of an 85 per cent increase in registrants in a ward in Ebonyi State, he said the Commission had investigated and addressed the complaint in accordance with statutory procedures.
He urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to remain actively involved in the electoral process and guard against misinformation and digital disinformation capable of undermining democracy.
