As preparations for the 2027 general election gather momentum, the Independent National Electoral Commission says it is considering a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems and a mock presidential election to test the reliability of its processes ahead of the polls.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed the plans while receiving the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, during a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. According to the commission, the proposals were informed by lessons from the 2023 general election, particularly concerns over the performance of election technology.
INEC says the audit and mock presidential poll would help assess the readiness of its systems before the nationwide elections.
Although the initiatives were not included in the commission’s current budget, INEC says it will explore ways to implement them because of their potential to strengthen the credibility of the electoral process.
The commission also revealed it is reviewing its cyber-security architecture, including system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery mechanisms, while continuing to strengthen the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
During the visit, British High Commissioner Richard Montgomery said the United Kingdom has been closely monitoring INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general election, including recent off-cycle polls, and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s electoral process. He also expressed confidence that the partnership would continue after the end of his tenure in the coming weeks.
