Commission to test BVAS, prepare 1.4 million ad-hoc staff and strengthen safeguards against electoral misinformation.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026 as part of preparations for the 2027 General Election.
The exercise will test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electoral equipment while helping the Commission identify and resolve 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 said the mock accreditation exercise was one of five strategic priorities adopted by INEC for the 2027 elections. The others are consolidating technological gains, deepening electoral inclusion, strengthening institutional capacity and technical support, and countering misinformation while protecting electoral integrity.
He described the August 15 Osun State governorship election as a major benchmark for the Commission, noting that 3,556 of the 3,763 polling units, representing 94.5 per cent, opened for accreditation and voting by 8:30 a.m.
According to him, the election also recorded strong BVAS performance, seamless result uploads on the IReV portal and effective crisis management.
The INEC chairman disclosed that the Commission would require about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel to conduct the 2027 elections across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.
He also announced the establishment of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Unit to explore responsible applications of AI in data management, voter registration and results transmission, while developing safeguards against its misuse.
Amupitan said INEC would participate in the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections in Ottawa, Canada, from September 9 to 11, where emerging threats such as deepfakes and disinformation would be examined.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s independence and neutrality, assuring the Canadian delegation of INEC’s commitment to democratic integrity.
The Canadian delegation, meanwhile, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s electoral process through technical assistance, election observation, public awareness, women’s participation and broader electoral inclusion.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.