Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will conduct a nationwide mock presidential election ahead of the 2027 general polls as part of efforts to test its systems and prevent technical failures during the actual exercise.
Gatekeepers News reports that INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja during a Citizens’ Townhall meeting on the 2026 Electoral Act, where he said the exercise would focus on ensuring smooth and seamless transmission of election results across states.
“Moving forward, we will conduct mock presidential elections to ensure that transmission across state lines is seamless before the actual vote,” Amupitan said.
Concerns over real-time transmission of results have remained a major topic of public debate, especially following the controversies that trailed 2023 presidential election, when INEC cited a glitch in its result upload system.
The issue dominated national discourse ahead of the passage and signing of the Electoral Act 2026, which strengthened the legal basis for the electronic transmission of election data.
Addressing those concerns, the INEC Chairman assured Nigerians that the technical challenges experienced in the past have been fully resolved. “Regarding the ‘glitch’ that was blamed for issues in 2023, let me be clear: the glitch is eliminated. It will not surface again,” he said.
Amupitan explained that internal reviews showed that although the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System had been tested in state-level elections such as Osun and Ekiti, it was not adequately deployed at the scale required for a nationwide presidential election.
“My audit of the 2023 election showed that while the BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System) was tested in state-level elections like Osun and Ekiti, it was not properly tested for the scale of an interstate presidential election,” he added.
He further assured citizens that INEC is intensifying preparations to deliver a transparent and credible electoral process in 2027. “By the grace of God, the 2027 election will be the best Nigeria has ever had. The electorate of 2027 is more aware and understands the direct correlation between elections and national development,” Amupitan said.
The INEC Chairman stressed that rebuilding public confidence in the electoral system remains a top priority. “We want a process that guarantees the legitimacy and confidence people want to see in their system. When people trust INEC and their leaders, the country will move forward,” he said.
He added that the commission is strengthening its logistics planning, result management framework, and technology infrastructure, while also training personnel nationwide to ensure smooth operations on election day.
“So result management and logistics are two basic issues that, from our own end, we’re trying to see how best we’re able to manage them very well, so as to enhance the transparency and credibility of the system,” he said.
The mock election will involve large-scale testing of electronic accreditation, data transmission, and logistics coordination, as INEC works to avoid a repeat of past challenges and deliver a more efficient and trusted electoral process in 2027.
