The key facts

  • INEC will hold trial accreditation and voting on November 28 in all states of the country
  • The updated BVAS system and electronic result transmission will be tested
  • Presidential elections and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027

Mock voting in all states

Nigeria's electoral commission has scheduled a nationwide simulation of the presidential election for November 28: trial accreditation and voting are planned in all states of the federation. The announcement was made by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, speaking at a discussion on the country's democratic future at the London-based think tank Chatham House.

What is being tested and why

According to Amupitan, during the exercise the commission will assess the updated BVAS biometric voter accreditation system, accreditation procedures, and electronic transmission of results. The goal is to work through the technical and organisational problems that undermined trust in the 2023 general elections, above all disputes over the electronic transmission of results. The commission chairman acknowledged that the 2023 elections created a significant trust deficit and that INEC has not fully restored its public reputation.

Identified problems and remaining challenges

Following its analysis, the commission identified problems at result collation centres, where data from polling units is gathered, and in response introduced additional verification procedures before results are transmitted. Amupitan named three main challenges ahead of the elections: insecurity, logistics, and result management. INEC is cooperating with security agencies to protect electoral staff and materials and is improving the timely delivery of equipment to polling units.

Election calendar

Presidential elections and elections to Nigeria's National Assembly are scheduled for January 16, 2027, followed on February 6 by elections for governors and state legislative assemblies.