INEC Considers Mock Presidential Election Ahead of 2027 Polls

• INEC is considering conducting a mock presidential election and a comprehensive technology audit ahead of the 2027 general election as part of efforts to strengthen the credibility and reliability of Nigeria’s electoral process.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering conducting a mock presidential election and a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems ahead of the 2027 general election.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this while receiving the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, during a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

According to INEC, the proposals are aimed at testing the reliability of its election technology and processes before the 2027 general election, following concerns raised during the 2023 polls.

The commission said it is considering a full audit of its electoral systems alongside a mock presidential election to assess the readiness of its technology and operational processes.

Although the initiatives were not included in the commission’s current budget, INEC said it would explore ways to implement them because of their potential to strengthen the credibility of the 2027 elections.

The electoral body also revealed that it is reviewing its cyber-security architecture, including system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery mechanisms, while continuing to improve the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

During the meeting, the British High Commissioner said the United Kingdom had been closely monitoring INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections and reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to supporting the commission’s electoral reforms.