The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering conducting a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems and staging a mock presidential election as part of efforts to strengthen preparations for the 2027 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, during a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Amupitan said the proposals, which were being considered by the commission, were prompted by concerns arising from the 2023 general election, particularly over the reliability of election technology.
According to him, the commission is considering auditing all its electoral systems ahead of the 2027 polls and conducting a mock presidential election to test the readiness of its processes and technology before the actual elections.
He said, “The commission was looking at the possibility of auditing all its systems ahead of the 2027 election, as well as conducting a mock presidential election, to test the readiness of its processes and technology before the actual polls.”
The INEC chairman noted that the proposed exercises were not originally included in the commission’s budget but said INEC would explore ways of implementing them because of their potential to strengthen the credibility of the elections.
He explained that the proposals formed part of the commission’s broader efforts to improve technological reliability, including the continued deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal, alongside an ongoing review of its cyber-security architecture covering system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery mechanisms.
Amupitan stressed that public confidence in the electoral process depended largely on the reliability of the commission’s technology and processes.
He said, “INEC remained committed to addressing any gaps identified from previous elections ahead of 2027.”
The chairman identified election technology and cyber-security as key areas of collaboration between INEC and the United Kingdom, noting that the commission valued its technical partnership with the UK and other international partners, including the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, in strengthening Nigeria’s electoral process.
He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to delivering credible, transparent and inclusive elections.
According to him, “Electoral credibility remained a shared responsibility requiring the cooperation of political parties, security agencies, civil society, development partners and citizens.”
Earlier, Montgomery said the UK had been closely monitoring INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general election, including developments from the recent off-cycle elections in Ekiti, the Federal Capital Territory and Anambra, as well as preparations for the Osun State governorship election.
He described the UK Government’s interest in Nigeria’s democratic process as both moral and practical support, citing the strategic partnership signed by both countries in 2024 and President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom in March.
The envoy, who said he would conclude his tenure in about six weeks, assured INEC of continued British support under his successor.
He expressed confidence that the incoming British High Commissioner would sustain a productive working relationship with the commission in the build-up to the 2027 general election.
punch.ng
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