2027 Poll: INEC Holds Mock Accreditation November

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it would commence a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The exercise, according to the commission, is aimed at testing the readiness and functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electoral equipment ahead of the elections.

INEC chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this when he received the Chargé d’Affaires of Canada to Nigeria, Mr David Sproule, who led a delegation from the Canadian High Commission on a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja yesterday.

Amupitan said the mock accreditation exercise would subject the commission’s technology and operational systems to rigorous field testing, with the objective of identifying possible challenges and improving efficiency before the 2027 polls.

He explained that the exercise formed part of INEC’s strategic preparations to consolidate technological gains and strengthen the credibility of the electoral process.

The INEC chairman said the commission had continued to use recent off-cycle elections, including the Anambra, FCT, Ekiti and Osun elections as platforms to test and improve its electoral framework.

He described the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election as a major benchmark, noting that 3,556 out of 3,763 polling units, representing 94.5 per cent, opened for accreditation and voting by 8:30am.

According to him, the election also recorded optimal BVAS performance, seamless uploading of results on the IReV portal and effective crisis management.

“We view the success in Osun not as a final destination, but as the gold standard that will guide our preparations for 2027,” Amupitan stated.

The INEC chairman added that the commission’s preparations for the 2027 elections would focus on consolidating technology, expanding electoral inclusion, strengthening institutional capacity, countering misinformation and safeguarding electoral integrity.

He disclosed that the 2027 election would require the deployment of about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.

Amupitan also announced the establishment of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) unit by the commission to explore responsible use of emerging technology in areas including data management, voter registration and result transmission.

He said the initiative would also help INEC develop safeguards against possible misuse of artificial intelligence, including the spread of deepfakes and disinformation.

Earlier, the Canadian envoy, David Sproule, expressed Canada’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic and electoral processes ahead of the poll.

Sproule said Canada would continue to provide support in areas such as electoral participation, women’s inclusion, public awareness, technical assistance and election observation.

He said Canada and Nigeria shared a common objective of strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring that elections are free, fair, credible and enjoy the confidence of citizens.