INEC Announces November 28 for Nationwide Mock Election Ahead of 2027 Polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced November 28, 2026, as the date for a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

The exercise is expected to test the commission’s upgraded electoral technology and identify possible challenges before the actual polls.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed the development during an engagement in London on Thursday. He explained that the exercise would assess the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the electronic transmission of election results.

The commission is also introducing additional technical measures aimed at preventing incorrect polling-unit figures and results suggesting over-voting from appearing on its Result Viewing Portal, popularly known as IReV.

Amupitan acknowledged that problems experienced during the 2023 general elections affected public confidence in the electoral process. He identified result management, insecurity and logistics as major areas requiring attention before the next election.

INEC says it has also reduced the maximum number of registered voters assigned to a single BVAS device from 1,250 to 850, with additional devices to be provided for polling units with larger voter populations.

The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections will take place on February 6. The November exercise will therefore serve as an important opportunity to assess the commission’s preparations.