Nigeria's INEC to audit systems and run mock presidential election before 2027 polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria announced plans to conduct a comprehensive audit of all its electoral technology systems and to stage a mock presidential election as part of preparations for the 2027 general election. Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan disclosed the proposals on 16 July 2026 during a courtesy visit by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery. The initiative is driven by concerns raised after the 2023 election over the reliability of election technology.

The proposed exercises are not currently budgeted, but INEC will explore funding options. They complement ongoing efforts such as the continued deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the INEC Result Viewing Portal, and a review of the commission’s cyber‑security architecture covering system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster‑recovery mechanisms. The commission highlighted the importance of public confidence in the electoral process and noted continued technical collaboration with the United Kingdom and other international partners.