The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed November 28, 2026, for a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, announced the date on Thursday during a dialogue at Chatham House in London, organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative.
Amupitan explained that the exercise would simulate the presidential election across the country to test the Commission’s voter accreditation system and electronic transmission of results.
He assured Nigerians that INEC was introducing reforms to strengthen transparency and prevent a recurrence of the technical challenges experienced during the 2023 general elections.
INEC Introduces Safeguards Ahead of 2027 Elections
The INEC Chairman acknowledged that controversies surrounding the 2023 presidential election had weakened public confidence in the Commission.
He disclosed that a review of the election identified collation centres as a major source of discrepancies in election results.
According to him, new technical safeguards have been introduced to prevent inaccurate results and figures indicating over-voting from being uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
Amupitan said the Commission was also upgrading the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to improve its performance during elections.
He explained that INEC had reduced the maximum number of registered voters assigned to each BVAS device from 1,250 to 850, while polling units with more voters would receive additional devices.
The Commission is also establishing climate-controlled storage facilities to protect election equipment from extreme temperatures.
INEC Assures Nigerians of Credible Elections
Amupitan cited improvements recorded during recent governorship elections in Anambra and Osun states as evidence of the Commission’s growing operational capacity.
He said INEC had learnt important lessons from previous elections and was implementing measures to restore public trust ahead of 2027.
On funding, the INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission had received a substantial portion of its election budget but was awaiting the outstanding balance.
He expressed confidence that the remaining funds, including allocations for the recruitment and welfare of temporary election personnel, would be released before the end of November.
Amupitan also dismissed allegations questioning his political neutrality and denied operating a controversial X account linked to him, stating that the matter had been referred to security agencies for investigation.
He urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to participate actively in the electoral process and avoid spreading misinformation.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will take place on February 6, 2027.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
