ABUJA, Nigeria — The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced plans to conduct a nationwide mock presidential election ahead of the 2027 general elections to test its result transmission infrastructure and avoid a repeat of past technical glitches, the commission’s chairman said Sunday, March 2, 2026.

INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan disclosed this during the Citizens’ Townhall on the Electoral Act 2026 in Abuja, saying the commission aims to deliver what he described as the country’s “best election yet.”

The announcement comes after a recent revision of the 2027 election timetable. INEC had earlier scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for Feb. 20, 2027, and the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections for March 6, 2027.

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Under the updated timetable, the presidential and National Assembly polls will now hold Jan. 16, 2027, while the governorship and state assembly elections are set for Feb. 6, 2027. The commission said the changes comply with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

Speaking at the town hall, Amupitan underscored the need to rigorously test electoral technology before deployment.

“Election anywhere in the world is now about technology, but before deploying any technology, it is important to test it thoroughly,” he said.

“One of the things we are trying to do before the election is to have a mock presidential election, so that we are sure that this transmission across the states must not fail.”

Amupitan said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System was piloted during off-cycle governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti before the 2023 general elections but was not fully stress-tested for a nationwide presidential poll.

He said the commission is determined to ensure seamless interstate transmission of results in 2027 and expressed confidence that the technical challenges experienced during the 2023 presidential election would not recur.

Safeguards have been introduced to prevent similar failures, he said, adding that alternative collation methods provided under the law are precautionary and not substitutes for electronic transmission.

Amupitan reiterated INEC’s commitment to credible elections, describing credible polls as the lifeblood of democracy. He noted that voters ahead of the 2027 elections are more politically aware and understand the connection between elections and national development.

The development follows the recent amendment of the Electoral Act 2026, signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The amendment allows for both electronic and manual transmission of results depending on operational feasibility, a provision opposition parties have criticized, calling for mandatory electronic transmission without fallback options.