INEC Weighs Mock Presidential Poll, Technology Audit Ahead of 2027 Elections

• Electoral commission says proposed mock presidential election and technology audit are aimed at strengthening confidence in the 2027 general election.
• Court of Appeal overturns Federal High Court judgment that voided part of INEC’s 2027 electoral guidelines.
• INEC insists it acted within its constitutional and statutory powers in issuing the disputed guidelines.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering conducting a mock presidential election and carrying out a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems as part of 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.

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Amupitan said the proposals were informed by concerns raised after the 2023 general election, particularly regarding the reliability of election technology.

According to him, the Commission is considering a full audit of its electoral systems and a mock presidential election to test the readiness of its processes and technology before the 2027 polls.

Although the proposed exercises are not included in INEC’s budget, he said the Commission would explore ways of implementing them because of their potential to enhance the credibility of future elections.

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The INEC chairman explained that the initiatives form part of broader efforts to improve technological reliability, including the continued deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

He added that the Commission is also reviewing its cybersecurity architecture, covering system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery mechanisms.

Amupitan noted that public confidence in the electoral process largely depends on the reliability of the Commission’s technology and operational processes, stressing that INEC remains committed to addressing shortcomings identified during previous elections.

He identified election technology and cybersecurity as key areas of collaboration between INEC and the United Kingdom, noting that the Commission has benefited from technical support from the UK and development partners, including the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).

The INEC chairman reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to conducting credible, transparent and inclusive elections, adding that electoral integrity requires the cooperation of political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations, development partners and citizens.

Earlier, the British High Commissioner said the United Kingdom had been closely monitoring INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general election, including recent off-cycle elections in Ekiti, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Anambra, as well as preparations for the forthcoming Osun State governorship election.

Montgomery described the UK’s engagement with Nigeria’s electoral process as part of the strategic partnership established between both countries in 2024 and strengthened by 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 the UK’s continued support under his successor and expressed confidence that bilateral cooperation would continue in the build-up to the 2027 elections.

Appeal Court reinstates INEC’s 2027 guidelines

Meanwhile, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which nullified part of INEC’s electoral guidelines for the 2027 general election.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Okon Abang held that the trial court wrongly interfered with INEC’s administrative discretion, stressing that the Constitution and the Electoral Act empower the Commission to conduct elections.

“The law gives INEC powers to conduct elections in the country,” the judge held.

He added that there was no evidence showing that the respondent had been prevented from conducting its primaries, noting that the courts could only intervene where there were genuine threats to participation in the electoral process.

According to the appellate court, the declaratory reliefs granted by the trial court were wrongly issued and were accordingly set aside.

Justice Muhammed Umar of the Federal High Court had earlier nullified INEC’s guideline directing political parties to submit their membership registers and databases by May 10 as a condition for participation in the 2027 elections.

The Youth Party had instituted the suit, arguing that the guideline unlawfully shortened the timeline provided under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026.

However, INEC appealed the judgment through its counsel, Alex Izinyon (SAN), contending that the suit was hypothetical, academic and that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to challenge the guideline.

The Commission further argued that Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act empower political parties to submit the names of candidates not later than 120 days before the election, while only requiring them to notify INEC at least 21 days before holding their primaries.

The Court of Appeal agreed with INEC’s position, upheld the Commission’s authority to issue the guidelines and struck down the Federal High Court’s decision.