The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is about to put its technology—and its credibility—on the line.
In a move that could either redeem Nigeria’s most embattled institution or expose it to fresh humiliation, INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan has announced a nationwide mock election for November 28, 2026, designed to simulate the presidential election and prove that the commission has finally gotten its act together before the 2027 general elections.
The stakes could not be higher. After the trust deficit left by the 2023 elections, INEC is not just testing machines—it is testing whether Nigerians can ever trust it again.
The November 28 Gamble
Speaking on Thursday at a high-profile dialogue at Chatham House in London, organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative, Amupitan unveiled the commission’s plan under the theme, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.”
“On the 28th of this month, we will conduct a mock accreditation and voting exercise across all states of the Federation to simulate the presidential election and verify that we have gotten both accreditation and electronic result transmission right,” he declared.
The exercise will test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the commission’s electronic results transmission infrastructure—the very systems that failed spectacularly during the 2023 elections and left millions of Nigerians questioning whether their votes ever truly counted.
In a statement issued in Abuja by his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Adedayo Oketola, Amupitan confirmed that the mock exercise would span every state of the federation.
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But perhaps the most explosive revelation from the INEC chairman was his admission that the commission had been fighting the wrong battle all along.
According to Amupitan, a review carried out after the 2023 general elections revealed that the core problem of election result management in Nigeria is not at the polling unit—it is at the collation centres.
“We found that the core problem of election result management and declaration in Nigeria is not even at the polling unit, it is at the collation centres,” he admitted.
To fix this, INEC has introduced a technical safeguard that could fundamentally change how results are uploaded and collated.
“We have now devised a technical safeguard: if a result is not accurate at the polling unit, it will not go to IReV at all,” Amupitan declared.
Translation: faulty, over-voting, and manipulated results will no longer make it to the public Result Viewing Portal—because they won’t be allowed to leave the polling unit in the first place.
It is a bold claim. And Nigerians will be watching closely to see if it holds.
Why Not a New System? Amupitan Explains
Critics have asked why INEC did not simply introduce a brand-new election technology rather than upgrading the existing one. Amupitan had a blunt answer: time.
He explained that the commission had chosen to improve its existing election technology instead of introducing a completely new system because of the limited time left before the 2027 elections.
In other words, there is no room for experimentation. It’s fix what you have—or fail with what you have.
BVAS Upgrades: More Machines, Fewer Voters Per Device
On concerns about BVAS failures during the 2023 elections, Amupitan revealed that INEC had taken concrete steps to prevent a repeat. The commission is building climate-controlled storage facilities across all states to protect the machines from extreme temperatures—a direct response to reports of BVAS devices overheating and failing on election day.
More importantly, INEC has purchased additional BVAS machines and reduced the number of registered voters assigned to each device from 1,250 to 850.
Under the new arrangement, polling units with more than 850 registered voters will receive additional machines, ensuring that no single device is overwhelmed by the volume of voters it must process.
The Trust Deficit: Amupitan Confronts INEC’s Darkest Hour
In a moment of rare candour, Amupitan acknowledged the elephant in the room: the 2023 presidential election and the damage it did to INEC’s reputation.
“First and foremost, let me speak about what happened in 2023, which resulted in a significant trust deficit for INEC, damage so large that the Commission has not yet fully recovered from it,” he said.
It was an admission few INEC chairmen have ever made so directly. The 2023 elections were marred by glitches, delays, and accusations of manipulation—particularly in the upload of results to IReV, which left many Nigerians convinced that the system had been compromised.
But Amupitan insisted that the commission had learnt from subsequent elections, including the governorship polls in Anambra and Osun, the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, the Ekiti governorship election, and 16 legislative by-elections.
“Every election is a lesson. The 2023 general election was a major lesson for Nigeria, and the Anambra election was another,” he said.
He noted that the results of the Anambra and Osun governorship elections were announced the day after voting, unlike the delays that affected previous elections in the two states—a sign, he argued, that INEC was improving.
The Controversy That Won’t Go Away: Amupitan Denies X Account Allegations
The INEC chairman also addressed allegations questioning his political neutrality, denying that he operated an account on X (formerly Twitter) linked to a controversial political post.
He said INEC had obtained an independent forensic review of the matter and referred it to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of Police for investigation.
“I remain committed to transparency,” Amupitan insisted, adding that his loyalty remained with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
He explained that his previous involvement in legal cases relating to political disputes was carried out in his professional capacity as a lawyer before he became INEC chairman.
“My loyalty is solely to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act,” he declared.
Funding: INEC Still Waiting for Full Budget Release
On funding, Amupitan said INEC had received a substantial part of its budget for the 2027 elections but was still waiting for the release of the remaining funds.
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He expressed confidence that the outstanding amount would be released before the end of November, explaining that part of the money would be used to recruit and cater for the welfare of ad hoc staff who would work during the elections.
A Plea to Nigerians: Trust Us Again
In a direct appeal to the Nigerian public, Amupitan urged citizens to have confidence in his leadership and in the commission’s ability to deliver credible elections in 2027.
He also urged young Nigerians to take an active part in the electoral process and avoid spreading misinformation as the country prepares for the 2027 elections.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
The Bottom Line
INEC is at a crossroads. The November 28 mock election is more than a technical exercise—it is a public audition. If the BVAS works, if results transmit seamlessly, if the new safeguards hold, Amupitan may begin to rebuild the trust that was shattered in 2023.
But if the mock election fails, if the machines glitch, if results disappear into thin air, then the 2027 elections may be remembered not as a democratic milestone, but as the moment Nigeria’s electoral system finally lost all credibility.
For now, all eyes are on November 28.