Trending 
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a nationwide mock accreditation exercise for November ahead of the 2027 General Election.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Friday when he received a delegation from the Canadian High Commission, led by Canada’s Chargé d’Affaires to Nigeria, David Sproule, in Abuja.
Amupitan said the mock exercise is one of five key priorities INEC adopted ahead of the 2027 elections.
He listed the priorities as improving technology, expanding electoral inclusion, strengthening the commission’s capacity and technical support, and fighting misinformation while protecting electoral integrity.
“We view the success in Osun not as a final destination, but as the gold standard that will guide our preparations for 2027,” Amupitan said.
The exercise will test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electoral equipment, helping the commission identify and fix potential challenges before the elections.
The INEC chairman described recent off-cycle elections, including the Anambra governorship election, FCT Area Council elections and Ekiti governorship election, as important tests for electoral reforms.
He also cited the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship election as a major benchmark.
According to Amupitan, 3,556 of Osun’s 3,763 polling units, representing 94.5 percent, opened for accreditation and voting by 8:30 am.
He said the election also recorded strong BVAS performance, smooth result uploads on the IReV portal and effective crisis management.
Amupitan disclosed that INEC would need about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel to conduct the 2027 elections across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.
He also revealed that the commission has established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) unit to explore the responsible use of AI in voter registration, data management and results transmission.
The unit will also work on safeguards against AI misuse, including deepfakes and disinformation.
Amupitan said INEC would participate in the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections in Ottawa, Canada, from September 9 to 11, 2026.
He reaffirmed the commission’s independence and neutrality, assuring the Canadian delegation of INEC’s “absolute independence, neutrality, and unyielding commitment to democratic integrity.”
The Canadian delegation reaffirmed its support for Nigeria’s democratic process, particularly in electoral participation, women’s inclusion, public awareness, technical assistance and election observation.
The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
Campaigns for the national elections began on Wednesday, while campaigns for the governorship and State Assembly elections will begin on September 9, 2026.
