THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026 as part of its preparations for the 2027 General Election.
News Point Nigeria reports that the exercise is expected to test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electoral equipment, while enabling the Commission to identify and address potential operational challenges ahead of the nationwide polls.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Friday when a delegation from the Canadian High Commission, led by Canada’s Chargé d’Affaires to Nigeria, David Sproule, visited the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Amupitan said the nationwide mock accreditation exercise was one of five strategic priorities adopted by the Commission as it intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections.
He listed the other priorities as consolidating technological gains, deepening electoral inclusion, strengthening institutional capacity and technical support, and countering misinformation while safeguarding 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 was quoted as saying.
The INEC chairman referred to recent off-cycle elections, including the Anambra State governorship election, the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections and the Ekiti State governorship election, as proving grounds for electoral reforms and operational improvements.
He also cited the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election as a significant benchmark for the Commission, noting that 3,556 out of the 3,763 polling units, representing 94.5 per cent, opened for accreditation and voting by 8:30 a.m.
According to him, the election also recorded optimal BVAS performance, seamless uploading of results on the INEC Result Viewing portal (IReV), as well as proactive crisis management.
Amupitan further disclosed that INEC would require approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel to conduct the 2027 elections across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.
He said the Commission had also established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Unit to explore the responsible use of AI in critical areas, including data management, voter registration and results transmission, while strengthening safeguards against its misuse.
The INEC chairman added that the Commission would participate in the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections scheduled to hold from September 9 to 11, 2026, in Ottawa, Canada.
According to him, the conference will provide an opportunity for INEC to examine responsible applications of artificial intelligence in elections and strategies for tackling emerging threats, including deepfakes and disinformation.
Amupitan also reaffirmed the independence and neutrality of the electoral body, assuring the Canadian delegation and the international community of INEC’s “absolute independence, neutrality, and unyielding commitment to democratic integrity.”
The Canadian delegation, meanwhile, reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic and electoral processes, particularly in the areas of electoral participation, women’s inclusion, public awareness, technical assistance and election observation.
The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled to hold on January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State House of Assembly elections will take place on February 6, 2027.
Political campaigns for the national elections began on Wednesday, while campaigns for the governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled to commence on September 9, 2026.