*Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission considers conducting a comprehensive audit of all its electoral tech systems, with a mock presidential election, to strengthen its preparations for forthcoming 2027 General Elections
Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is considering conducting a comprehensive audit of all its electoral technology systems, alongside a mock presidential election, as part of measures to strengthen preparations for the 2027 General Elections.
ConsumerConnect reports Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, Chairman of the Commission, disclosed this development Thursday, July 16, 2026, while receiving Dr. Richard Montgomery, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, during his courtesy visit to the Commission’s Headquarters, in Abuja, FCT.
Prof. Amupitan said the proposals, which the Commission said it was considering same day, were informed by concerns arising from the 2023 General Elections, particularly regarding the reliability of election technology at the time.
The Chairman of INEC also noted the Commission is looking at the possibility of auditing all its systems ahead of the 2027 Elections, as well as conducting a mock presidential election, to test the readiness of its processes and tech tools before the actual polls next year.
He further said that the proposed exercises were not originally captured in the Commission’s budget, but stressed that INEC would explore ways to actualise them if required, given their potential value in strengthening the credibility of the General Elections.
The INEC Chief linked the proposals to the Commission’s broader efforts at technological reliability, which include continued deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as well as an ongoing review of the Commission’s cybersecurity architecture covering system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery mechanisms.
On key areas of election collaboration with the UK
Amupitan explained that public confidence in the electoral process depended significantly on the reliability of the Commission’s technology and processes, adding that INEC remained committed to addressing any gaps identified from previous elections ahead of 2027.
The Chairman of INEC listed election technology and cybersecurity as one of the key areas of continued collaboration between INEC and the United Kingdom.
The Commission, Amupitan stated, valued the technical partnership it has enjoyed with the UK, and other international partners, including the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), in strengthening its electoral processes.
Prof. Amupitan, therefore, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to delivering elections that are credible, transparent and reflective of the will of Nigerians, stating that electoral credibility remained a shared responsibility requiring the cooperation of political parties, security agencies, civil society, development partners and citizens.
Montgomery: UK will continue to support INEC on preparations for 2027 General Elections
Speaking earlier on the purpose of his visit, Dr. Montgomery said his team had been keenly following INEC’s preparations for the 2027 General Elections.
These included updates on the recent off-cycle elections in Ekiti, the Federal Capital Territory and Anambra, as well as ongoing preparations for the Osun State governorship election, stated he.
The envoy also described the UK Government’s interest in Nigeria’s democratic process as a demonstration of both moral and practical support.
Montgomery cited the strategic partnership signed by the two governments in 2024 and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom March 2026.
The High Commissioner, who disclosed that he would be concluding his tenure in about six weeks, assured the Commission of continued British support under his successor, expressing confidence that the incoming High Commissioner would sustain a productive working relationship with INEC in the run-up to the 2027 General Elections.