INEC Sets November 2026 Mock Accreditation as Osun Election Becomes 2027 Benchmark
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026 as preparations intensify for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, said the exercise would give the commission an opportunity to thoroughly test its electoral technology and assess its readiness ahead of the 2027 polls.
Amupitan made the announcement on Friday, August 21, 2026, in Abuja during separate meetings with representatives of Canada and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS).
INEC Hails Osun Election Performance
The INEC chairman described the August 15 Osun State governorship election as a major demonstration of what effective planning, technology and rapid response can achieve during an election.
He said 3,556 of the state’s 3,763 polling units were operational for accreditation and voting by 8:30 a.m., representing 94.5 per cent.
According to Amupitan, the performance was supported by the effective deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), smooth transmission of results through the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal and quick intervention by field officials when challenges arose.
He said the commission would use the experience gained from Osun to strengthen preparations for the much larger 2027 elections.
“We regard the success in Osun not as a final goal, but as the benchmark that will inform our preparations for 2027,” Amupitan said.
Nationwide BVAS Test Planned for November
The planned November mock accreditation will serve as a nationwide field test of BVAS before the general election.
INEC intends to use the exercise to identify technical, logistical and operational problems early enough for them to be addressed before millions of Nigerians head to polling units in 2027.
The commission’s preparations come at a critical stage, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, followed by the governorship and State House of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027.
Public campaigns and rallies for the 2027 election officially began on August 19, 2026.
INEC Raises Concern Over Voter Records
Amupitan also spoke about the need to revalidate voter records, particularly for Nigerians who registered many years ago.
He noted that some elderly voters have remained on the register since as far back as 2011 and may need to validate their details to ensure their records remain accurate.
However, the chairman said there would not be enough time to conduct a comprehensive revalidation exercise before the 2027 election.
He maintained that the exercise would still be necessary in the future to reduce delays and other difficulties during subsequent electoral processes.
Five Areas INEC Wants Canada to Support
During his meeting with Canada’s Chargé d’Affaires, David Sproule, the INEC chairman outlined areas where the commission would welcome further international cooperation.
These include strengthening the technological gains recorded during the Osun election, improving access to elections for persons with disabilities, women, youths and other underrepresented groups, as well as building the capacity of electoral officials.
INEC also wants greater cooperation in tackling election-related misinformation and supporting the November mock accreditation exercise.
Sproule praised INEC’s efforts towards improving Nigeria’s electoral process and said Canada remained willing to support areas considered important by the commission.
He also highlighted the importance of greater participation by women and other groups in Nigeria’s elections.
INEC Deepens Partnership With KAS
Amupitan separately met with Moritz Sprenker, the newly appointed Country Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.
The INEC chairman described KAS as a longstanding partner of the commission, particularly in areas connected with constitutional democracy, good governance and the rule of law.
He said both organisations had previously worked together on political party regulatory frameworks, including technical meetings in Uyo and Lagos.
The chairman identified civic education, electoral technology, institutional development, tackling misinformation and improving participation among persons with disabilities and marginalised groups as areas for further cooperation.
KAS also expressed its readiness to continue supporting INEC’s capacity-building efforts.
Sprenker said the foundation had operated in Nigeria for more than 25 years and had worked with government institutions, civil society organisations, academia and the media.
He also recalled a procurement capacity-building workshop organised with INEC in Lagos in March 2026.
INEC Prepares for Massive 2027 Deployment
Beyond technology, the scale of the 2027 election presents a major logistical challenge for the electoral commission.
Amupitan said INEC was preparing to deploy approximately 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.
The commission is therefore looking to use the period before the election to test its systems, strengthen personnel and logistics, improve inclusion and address threats such as misinformation.
With the 2027 polls drawing closer, INEC’s November mock accreditation exercise is expected to provide an important test of whether the improvements seen during the Osun election can be replicated on a nationwide scale.
