2027: INEC Announces Date for Nationwide Mock Presidential Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise on November 28 to test its preparations for the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Thursday during a conference at Chatham House in London, where discussions focused on the country’s democratic trajectory beyond the ballot ahead of the elections.

He said the exercise would simulate a presidential election and allow the commission to assess its readiness, particularly in the areas of voter accreditation and electronic transmission of results.

Amupitan explained that the mock exercise would take place across all states to establish whether the commission’s preparations and electoral systems were functioning as expected.

The INEC chairman also said the commission had reviewed experiences from previous elections and taken steps to address identified challenges. He cited recent off-cycle elections, including those in Anambra and Osun states, as examples of improvements in the electoral process.

According to him, every election provides lessons, noting that the 2023 general election exposed several challenges that required attention. He added that the commission had examined those issues and introduced measures to address them.

Amupitan said INEC was also working to improve its logistics to ensure that voting and the declaration of results could be completed promptly.

He pointed to the Anambra governorship election, where the results were declared the day after voting, as an example of the commission’s efforts to improve the process.

The chairman also cited elections in the Federal Capital Territory and Osun State, where results were reportedly declared the following day. He said voters were able to observe the operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the electronic transmission of results.

Amupitan recalled that result management in Osun had previously attracted serious concerns but maintained that the recent exercise demonstrated improvements in the electoral process.

He said the planned mock exercise and other measures were aimed at preventing a recurrence of past challenges and strengthening public confidence in elections.

The INEC chairman stressed that transparency and the ability of stakeholders to independently audit the electoral process were essential to ensuring credible elections.