ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Canada and the international community of its independence and neutrality ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, while announcing plans for a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, gave the assurance on Friday in Abuja when he received the Chargé d’Affaires of the Canadian High Commission to Nigeria, David Sproule, and his delegation at the Commission’s headquarters.
Amupitan said the Commission remained committed to conducting free, fair, credible and inclusive elections that reflect the will of Nigerians.
“Mr. Sproule, I want to reassure you and the international community of this Commission’s absolute independence, neutrality, and unyielding commitment to democratic integrity, as clearly demonstrated in Osun State,” he said.
The INEC chairman said Nigeria and Canada shared a longstanding relationship based on mutual respect, democratic values, the rule of law and good governance. He also acknowledged Canada’s support for electoral governance, civic education, institutional strengthening and gender inclusion in Nigeria.
Canada offers support for 2027 elections
Responding, Sproule said Canada was interested in supporting efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral processes and promote elections capable of commanding public confidence and legitimacy.
He said Canada was also interested in understanding INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections and how the Commission intended to safeguard the credibility of the electoral process.
The Canadian envoy said his country would continue engaging INEC within acceptable limits and noted that a Canadian delegation had recently participated in an international observation mission during the Osun governorship election.
“We will also continue to help in terms of any information we can provide in terms of what might be considered to be helpful in terms of awareness raising,” Sproule said.
He added that Canada would be ready to assist with election observation and efforts aimed at ensuring that the elections are “as free and fair and legitimate, as is possible.”
INEC says Osun poll provides benchmark
Amupitan said INEC had treated off-cycle elections as opportunities to test and improve its systems ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He cited the Anambra, Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, as well as the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, as exercises through which the Commission had strengthened its electoral framework.
According to him, the August 15 Osun governorship election provided a major test of INEC’s logistics, technology and crisis-management capabilities.
He said 3,556 of the 3,763 polling units in the state, representing 94.5 per cent, opened for accreditation and voting by 8:30 a.m.
The chairman also said the Commission recorded optimal performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and seamless uploading of results to the IReV portal during the election.
“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.
INEC is scheduled to conduct the presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6.
INEC targets technology and inclusion
Amupitan said the Commission’s preparations for 2027 would focus on consolidating technological gains, expanding electoral participation and strengthening institutional capacity.
He identified persons with disabilities, women, youths and other historically underrepresented groups as key priorities.
He added that INEC was exploring international technical assistance, electoral research and training frameworks to strengthen the capacity of its workforce.
The chairman also identified misinformation and disinformation as major threats to public confidence in elections, saying the Commission was interested in partnerships on strategic communication and civic education to counter election-related false information.
Mock accreditation planned for November
Amupitan disclosed that INEC would conduct a mock accreditation exercise in November to test its preparedness for the 2027 elections.
He said electoral equipment, particularly the BVAS, would undergo rigorous field testing.
“We will be subjecting our electoral equipment, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election,” he said.
INEC expects to deploy about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide during the 2027 elections, according to the chairman.
He described the planned deployment as one of the largest human-resource mobilisations for a national assignment in Nigeria’s history.
INEC establishes AI unit
Amupitan also disclosed that INEC had established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Unit to respond to emerging opportunities and threats associated with technology in electoral administration.
He said the Commission was exploring AI applications in areas including data management, voter registration and results transmission while remaining alert to possible misuse of the technology.
The chairman said INEC would participate in the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections scheduled for September 9–11, 2026, in Ottawa, Canada.
The conference, organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Elections Canada, is expected to examine responsible AI deployment in elections and ways of countering threats such as deepfakes and disinformation.
Amupitan also appealed to Canadian authorities to facilitate expedited visa processing for members of the INEC delegation attending the conference.
He said continued cooperation with Canada and other international partners would contribute to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
