The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering conducting a nationwide mock presidential election and a comprehensive audit of its election technology as part of measures to ensure a more credible and transparent 2027 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Amupitan said the proposed mock election and technology audit were prompted by concerns raised after the 2023 general election, particularly over the performance of the Commission’s technological platforms.
According to him, INEC is weighing the option of carrying out a full audit of its election technology and organising a nationwide trial presidential poll to test the readiness of its systems and operational processes before 2027.
He admitted that the initiatives were not captured in the Commission’s current budget but said they could become necessary to strengthen the credibility of future elections.
The INEC boss said the proposals form part of broader reforms aimed at improving the reliability of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) and the Commission’s cyber-security architecture, including system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery measures.
He stressed that Nigerians’ confidence in elections depends largely on the integrity, transparency and reliability of INEC’s technology.
Amupitan also identified election technology and cyber-security as major areas of collaboration with the United Kingdom, acknowledging the technical support the Commission has received from the UK Government and development partners.
He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to delivering credible elections but stressed that electoral integrity requires the cooperation of political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations, development partners and the electorate.
Earlier, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Montgomery said Britain remained committed to providing both moral and practical support to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process.
“We would like to regard ourselves as partners in your democratic journey,” he said.
The envoy disclosed that the UK had been monitoring INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections, including recent off-cycle polls and preparations for the Osun State governorship election.
He added that Nigeria remains a strategic partner to the United Kingdom under the bilateral agreement covering governance, security, migration, defence and justice.
Montgomery, who is expected to complete his diplomatic assignment in Nigeria in about six weeks, expressed confidence that the existing partnership between the UK and INEC would continue under his successor.
