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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled November 28, 2026, for a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise as part of its preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, announced the date on Thursday, November 12, during a dialogue at Chatham House in London. The event was organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative and focused on Nigeria’s 2027 elections and democratic development.
Amupitan said the exercise would simulate the presidential election across all states of the federation. It will allow the commission to test upgrades to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and its electronic results transmission arrangements before the general elections.
The exercise will also help INEC assess whether its accreditation equipment and electronic transmission systems can perform reliably under election conditions.
The chairman disclosed that the commission had introduced additional technical safeguards to prevent inaccurate polling unit results and figures indicating over-voting from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal, known as IReV.
He explained that INEC’s post-2023 election assessment identified weaknesses in the result management process, particularly at collation centres. The commission is therefore strengthening its verification procedures to ensure that polling unit results meet the required standards before transmission.
Amupitan said the new safeguards would prevent results containing inaccuracies or over-voting figures from reaching IReV. He added that the commission wanted citizens to have confidence in the results displayed on the portal.
INEC has also opted to upgrade its existing electoral technology rather than introduce an entirely new system, given the limited time remaining before the 2027 elections.
As part of the improvements, the commission has reduced the maximum number of registered voters assigned to a BVAS device from 1,250 to 850. Polling units with more than 850 registered voters will receive additional devices to support accreditation.
Amupitan acknowledged that the 2023 general elections created a significant loss of public confidence in INEC. He said the commission had used subsequent elections, including the Anambra and Osun governorship polls, the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections and legislative by-elections, to identify operational weaknesses and improve its procedures.
He also disclosed that INEC had started distributing non-sensitive election materials to some states ahead of the 2027 polls. The commission is expected to continue its preparations as it works towards the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections scheduled for February 6, 2027.
The November 28 mock exercise will provide an opportunity to assess the commission’s latest technological improvements before voters head to the polls.
