The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is weighing a full audit of its electoral technology and a mock presidential election before the 2027 general election.
The proposal was disclosed in a statement issued after INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), received the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
Amupitan said the Commission was considering the proposals during its meeting on Thursday, explaining that the move followed concerns raised after the 2023 general election over the reliability of election technology.
He said INEC was examining the possibility of carrying out a comprehensive assessment of all its electoral technology systems and staging a mock presidential election to test its processes and technological readiness before the nationwide poll.
The INEC chairman noted that the proposed exercises were not included in the Commission’s budget but said efforts would be made to implement them because of their importance to the conduct of the 2027 elections.
He linked the initiative to ongoing measures aimed at improving election technology, including the continued deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), and a review of the Commission’s cyber security framework covering system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery mechanisms.
Amupitan said, Public confidence in the electoral process depended significantly on the reliability of the Commission’s technology and processes, adding that INEC remained committed to addressing gaps identified from previous elections before 2027.
He also identified election technology and cyber security as key areas of collaboration with the United Kingdom, saying the Commission appreciated the technical support received from the UK and other development partners, including the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), in improving Nigeria’s electoral process.
The INEC chairman reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to conducting elections that are credible, transparent, and reflective of the will of Nigerians, stressing that electoral credibility requires the cooperation of political parties, security agencies, civil society organizations, development partners and citizens.
Earlier, the British High Commissioner said the UK had been closely monitoring INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general election, including developments from recent off-cycle elections in Ekiti, the Federal Capital Territory and Anambra, as well as preparations for the Osun State governorship election.
Montgomery described Britain’s interest in Nigeria’s democratic process as a demonstration of both moral and practical support, citing the strategic partnership signed by both countries in 2024 and President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom in March.
The envoy, who said he would complete his diplomatic assignment in about six weeks, assured the Commission that British support would continue under his successor, expressing confidence that the existing working relationship with INEC would be sustained ahead of the 2027 general election.