INEC Plans Mock Presidential Election Ahead of 2027 Polls, to Test BVAS and Results Transmission

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to conduct a mock presidential election ahead of the 2027 general elections as part of efforts to test the reliability of its electoral technology and prevent a repeat of the technical challenges witnessed during the 2023 presidential poll.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, disclosed the plan while speaking in Abuja, saying the proposed exercise would simulate key aspects of a presidential election, including voter accreditation, electronic transmission of results and public viewing of results.
The Commission is also undertaking a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems, including cybersecurity, system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster-recovery mechanisms.
According to INEC, the exercise is designed to identify vulnerabilities before the actual 2027 election and ensure that the technology deployed nationwide can cope with the scale of a presidential election.
The move is particularly significant because INEC previously acknowledged that while the BVAS had been tested during state-level elections, the system had not been adequately tested on the scale of an interstate presidential election before the 2023 polls.
INEC’s proposed mock poll therefore represents an important test of whether the commission can deliver a more seamless and transparent electoral process in 2027.
The Commission has also announced plans for a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026, which is expected to subject BVAS and other election equipment to rigorous field testing.
With the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for February 20, 2027, political parties, civil society organisations and election observers are expected to closely monitor INEC’s preparations.
**The big question now is whether the proposed mock presidential election will be sufficiently transparent and comprehensive to give Nigerians confidence that the technology, logistics and results-transmission systems are genuinely ready for the 2027 vote.**