2027 Elections: INEC Sets November for Nationwide Mock Accreditation Exercise

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026 as part of preparations for the 2027 General Election.

The exercise is expected to test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electoral equipment, while helping the commission identify and resolve potential operational challenges ahead of the polls.

INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Friday when a delegation from the Canadian High Commission, led by Canada’s Chargé d’Affaires to Nigeria, David Sproule, visited the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Amupitan identified the mock accreditation exercise as one of five strategic priorities adopted by INEC ahead of the 2027 elections.

The other priorities, according to him, include consolidating technological gains, deepening electoral inclusion, strengthening institutional capacity and technical support, and countering misinformation while protecting electoral integrity.

“We view the success in Osun not as a final destination, but as the gold standard that will guide our preparations for 2027,” Amupitan said.

The INEC chairman cited recent off-cycle elections, including the Anambra State governorship election, Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections and Ekiti State governorship election, as important testing grounds for electoral reforms and operational improvements.

He also highlighted the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election, saying 3,556 out of 3,763 polling units, representing 94.5 per cent, opened for accreditation and voting by 8:30 a.m.

According to Amupitan, the Osun election also recorded strong BVAS performance, seamless transmission of results through the IReV portal and proactive crisis management.

Beyond technology, INEC is preparing for a major logistical operation in 2027. Amupitan said the commission would require approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel to conduct the elections across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.

The commission has also established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Unit to examine the responsible use of AI in areas such as data management, voter registration and results transmission.

At the same time, INEC plans to strengthen safeguards against the misuse of AI, particularly as deepfakes and other forms of digitally generated misinformation become a growing concern during election campaigns.

Amupitan said INEC would participate in the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections scheduled for September 9 to 11, 2026, in Ottawa, Canada. The conference is expected to focus on responsible applications of AI in elections and strategies for tackling emerging threats such as deepfakes and disinformation.

The INEC chairman also reaffirmed the commission’s independence and neutrality, assuring the Canadian delegation and the international community of its commitment to conducting credible elections.

The Canadian delegation, meanwhile, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic and electoral processes, particularly in electoral participation, women’s inclusion, public awareness, technical assistance and election observation.

The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections will take place on February