The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026 as part of preparations for the 2027 General Election

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 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 mock accreditation exercise was one of five strategic priorities adopted by INEC ahead of the 2027 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 (FCT) 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, noting that 3,556 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 result uploads on the IReV portal and 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 areas such as data management, voter registration and results transmission, while strengthening safeguards against its misuse.

The chairman said INEC would participate in the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections, scheduled for September 9 to 11, 2026, in Ottawa, Canada, where it would examine responsible applications of AI in elections and strategies for tackling emerging threats, including deepfakes and disinformation.

Amupitan also reaffirmed INEC’s independence and neutrality, assuring the Canadian delegation and the international community of the Commission’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 for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State House of Assembly elections will be held on February 6, 2027.

Political campaigns for the national elections began on Wednesday, while campaigns for the governorship and State Assembly elections are scheduled to commence on September 9, 2026. (Channels)

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