INEC Sets November for Nationwide BVAS Test Ahead of 2027 Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026 as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Friday, August 21, 2026, in Abuja, during a meeting with the Chargé d’Affaires of the Canadian High Commission to Nigeria, David Sproule.

According to the commission, the exercise will subject the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electoral equipment to a rigorous field test. The objective is to assess INEC’s readiness, identify possible operational challenges and address them ahead of the 2027 polls.

Amupitan said the commission intends to build on lessons from recent off-cycle elections, particularly the August 15 Osun State governorship election, which he described as an important benchmark for its preparations.

He noted that 3,556 of Osun State’s 3,763 polling units, representing 94.5 per cent, had opened for accreditation and voting by 8:30 a.m. The INEC chairman also highlighted the performance of BVAS and the uploading of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal as areas from which the commission had drawn useful lessons.

The November exercise is expected to form part of INEC’s broader efforts to strengthen electoral technology and improve the credibility and efficiency of the 2027 elections.

INEC’s current schedule lists the Presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.