INEC Plans Mock Presidential Poll for 2027 Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is contemplating a mock presidential poll in preparation for the 2027 elections. This was disclosed by INEC Chairman Prof.

Joash Amupitan during a courtesy visit from Dr. Richard Montgomery, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, at INEC's headquarters in Abuja.

Amupitan highlighted concerns raised during the 2023 general elections regarding the reliability of electoral technology. The commission is considering a mock presidential election to test the readiness of its technological processes and conduct a comprehensive audit of its electoral system.

Although this initiative was not included in INEC's budget, the commission is exploring ways to implement important improvements to enhance the credibility of future elections. This proposal is part of a broader effort to strengthen INEC's electoral technology, including the continued deployment of the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and the INEC results viewing portal (IREV).

Amupitan also emphasized the need to address shortcomings identified in previous elections and reiterated INEC's commitment to conducting credible, transparent, and inclusive elections.