Nigeria's electoral commission may conduct a trial run of the presidential vote ahead of the 2027 general elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission is weighing the possibility of conducting a thorough audit of its electoral technology systems, as well as a mock presidential election, in preparation for the 2027 general election to gauge the dependability of its processes and technology.

n

This revelation was made by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during a courtesy visit by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, at the commission's headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

n

According to a statement on INEC's official X page, the proposed measures are being considered in response to concerns stemming from the 2023 general election, particularly with regards to the reliability of election technology.

n

Prof. Amupitan explained that the commission is exploring the option of auditing all its systems prior to the 2027 election, as well as staging a mock presidential election, to assess the readiness of its processes and technology before the actual polls.

n

Although these exercises were not initially included in the commission's budget, INEC is prepared to explore ways to implement them if necessary, given their potential to bolster the credibility of the general election.

n

The proposed measures are part of the commission's broader efforts to enhance technological reliability, including the continued deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal.

n

The INEC chairman also mentioned that the commission is reviewing its cyber-security architecture, encompassing system redundancy, penetration testing, and disaster recovery mechanisms.

n

Dr Richard Montgomery noted that the UK has been closely monitoring INEC's preparations for the 2027 general election, including recent off-cycle elections in Ekiti, the Federal Capital Territory, and Anambra, as well as preparations for the Osun State governorship election.

n

With his tenure set to conclude in about six weeks, the envoy assured INEC of the UK's ongoing support, expressing confidence that his successor would maintain the partnership with INEC ahead of the 2027 general election.