The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering holding a mock presidential election before the 2027 general elections as part of efforts to avoid the controversies that trailed the 2023 polls. The proposal was disclosed on Thursday by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), while receiving the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, during a courtesy visit to the commission's headquarters in Abuja.
INEC chairman outlines plans for mock election and technology audit
According to the INEC chairman, the commission is looking at carrying out a comprehensive audit of all its electoral technology and testing its systems through a nationwide mock presidential election before Nigerians head to the polls in 2027. He said, “The commission was looking at the possibility of auditing all its systems ahead of the 2027 election, as well as conducting a mock presidential election, to test the readiness of its processes and technology before the actual polls.”
The move is coming after the 2023 general election sparked widespread debate over the performance of INEC's technology, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). While BVAS was successfully used for voter accreditation, delays in uploading results to the IReV portal generated criticism from political parties, election observers and many Nigerians.
Budget constraints and cybersecurity overhaul
Amupitan explained that although the proposed technology audit and mock election were not captured in the commission's current budget, INEC is exploring ways to make them happen because of their importance to the credibility of future elections. Beyond the mock exercise, the electoral body is also reviewing its cyber-security framework. The review includes improving system redundancy, carrying out penetration testing and strengthening disaster recovery mechanisms to reduce the risk of technical failures during elections.
He stressed that public trust in elections depends largely on how reliable INEC's technology and processes are. According to him, “INEC remained committed to addressing any gaps identified from previous elections ahead of 2027.”
UK pledges continued support for Nigeria's electoral reforms
Outgoing British High Commissioner, Dr. Richard Montgomery, assured INEC of the UK's continued moral and practical support for Nigeria's democratic journey. He said the UK has been closely following INEC's preparations for the 2027 elections. He also noted that Britain monitored recent off-cycle elections in Ekiti, the Federal Capital Territory and Anambra, as well as preparations for the upcoming Osun governorship election.
Montgomery described the UK's support for Nigeria's democracy as both moral and practical, referencing the strategic partnership signed by both countries in 2024 and President Bola Tinubu's state visit to the United Kingdom in March. With his tenure ending in about six weeks, the British envoy assured INEC that his successor would continue supporting Nigeria's electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Collaboration with international partners
The INEC chairman also highlighted election technology and cyber-security as major areas of collaboration between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. He noted that the commission would continue working with the UK Government and international partners, including the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), to strengthen Nigeria's electoral process. He added, “Electoral credibility remained a shared responsibility requiring the cooperation of political parties, security agencies, civil society, development partners and citizens.”
