The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has assured Nigerians that the technical glitches recorded during the 2023 presidential election will not recur in 2027.
Amupitan gave the assurance while speaking at the Citizens’ Townhall on the Electoral Act 2026, expressing confidence that the next general election would be the best in Nigeria’s history.
INEC recently announced that the presidential and National Assembly elections will now hold on Saturday, January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday, February 6, 2027. The revised dates followed adjustments made in line with the Electoral Act 2026, after earlier dates had been announced.
Addressing concerns over the technological challenges experienced in 2023, Amupitan revealed that the commission plans to conduct a mock presidential election ahead of 2027 to test its result-transmission infrastructure.
“Election anywhere in the world is now about technology, but before deploying any technology, it is important to test it thoroughly,” he said.
Reflecting on the 2023 polls, he noted that while the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was tested during off-cycle governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states, it was not sufficiently stress-tested for a nationwide presidential election involving interstate transmission.
“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 state must not fail. The glitch is eliminated,” he stated.
Amupitan emphasised that INEC aims to deliver a credible and transparent process that inspires public trust.
“We will try to give Nigerians a near-perfect election. Credible elections remain the lifeblood of democracy,” he added, noting that an informed electorate understands the link between credible elections and national development.
He acknowledged that while perfection may be difficult to achieve, the commission is committed to significant improvements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
