The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled plans to conduct a nationwide mock presidential poll ahead of the 2027 general elections as part of efforts to strengthen its result transmission system and avoid the technical setbacks that marred previous exercises.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure on Sunday at the Citizens’ Townhall on the Electoral Act 2026 in Abuja.
He assured Nigerians that the commission is fully committed to delivering what he described as the country’s most credible and technologically sound election yet.
The planned simulation comes on the heels of a revision to the 2027 election timetable.
Change Of Date
While the commission had initially scheduled the Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, and governorship and state assembly elections for March 6, 2027, the dates have now been brought forward.
Under the updated schedule, presidential and National Assembly polls will take place on January 16, 2027, with governorship and state assembly elections set for February 6, 2027.
INEC said the adjustment aligns with provisions in the Electoral Act 2026.
Speaking at the town hall, Amupitan underscored the central role of technology in modern elections, noting that any system intended for nationwide deployment must be rigorously tested.
INEC Propose Mock Election
According to him, the proposed mock presidential election will serve as a stress test for the commission’s electronic transmission infrastructure, particularly in managing seamless result transfers across all states.
He recalled that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was introduced during off-cycle governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti before the 2023 general elections.
However, he acknowledged that it was not subjected to the scale of pressure associated with a nationwide presidential race.
The upcoming simulation, he said, is designed to ensure the system can withstand the demands of a countrywide contest.
Amupitan expressed optimism that the glitches recorded during the 2023 presidential election would not be repeated.
He revealed that additional safeguards have been incorporated into the system, stressing that legal provisions allowing manual collation are merely contingency measures rather than alternatives to electronic transmission.
Electoral Act Amendment
The INEC chairman reiterated that the commission’s priority is to guarantee seamless electronic transmission while strengthening logistics and collation processes nationwide.
The development also comes amid ongoing debate surrounding the amended Electoral Act 2026, recently signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The new law allows for both electronic and manual transmission of results, depending on operational considerations.
Opposition parties have continued to advocate for mandatory electronic transmission without fallback options.
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Amupitan maintained that credible elections remain the foundation of Nigeria’s democracy, adding that the 2027 electorate is increasingly informed and aware of the connection between transparent polls and national progress.