2027: INEC mulls full systems audit, mock presidential poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it is considering conducting a comprehensive audit of all its electoral technology systems, alongside a mock presidential election, as part of measures to strengthen preparations for the 2027 general election.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, said this on Thursday, while receiving the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, on a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

Amupitan said the proposals, which were under consideration by the commission that same day, were informed by concerns arising from the 2023 general election, particularly regarding the reliability of election technology.

He said the commission was looking at the possibility of auditing all its systems ahead of the 2027 election, as well as conducting a mock presidential election, to test the readiness of its processes and technology before the actual polls.

Prof. Amupitan noted that the proposed exercises were not originally captured in the Commission’s budget, but stressed that INEC would explore ways to actualise them if required, given their potential value in strengthening the credibility of the general election.

He linked the proposals to the Commission’s broader efforts at technological reliability, which include continued deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as well as an ongoing review of the commission’s cyber-security architecture covering system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery mechanisms.

He explained that 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 any gaps identified from previous elections ahead of 2027.

He also listed election technology and cyber-security as one of the key areas of continued collaboration between INEC and the United Kingdom, noting that the commission valued the technical partnership it had enjoyed with the UK and other international partners, including the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), in strengthening its electoral processes.

Speaking earlier on the purpose of his visit, Dr. Montgomery said his team had been keenly following INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general election, including updates on the recent off-cycle elections in Ekiti, the Federal Capital Territory and Anambra, as well as ongoing preparations for the Osun State governorship election.

He described the UK Government’s interest in Nigeria’s democratic process as a demonstration of both moral and practical support, citing the strategic partnership signed by the two governments in 2024 and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom in March this year.

The High Commissioner, who disclosed that he would be concluding his tenure in about six weeks, assured the commission of continued British support under his successor, expressing confidence that the incoming High Commissioner would sustain a productive working relationship with INEC in the run-up to the 2027 general election.