INEC Plans Mock Presidential Election Ahead of 2027 to Test BVAS and Result Transmission
By Victor Idajili
The Independent National Electoral Commission is planning a mock presidential election ahead of the 2027 general polls to test voter accreditation, result transmission, and the result viewing portal under conditions similar to election day.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria. His address was delivered by National Commissioner, Sani Adam.
Amupitan said the trial election is part of efforts to strengthen the credibility of the 2027 polls. He noted that the integrity of elections no longer depends only on BVAS and result sheets, but also on how Nigerians understand and trust information about the electoral process.
He warned that artificial intelligence-driven disinformation poses one of the biggest threats to the 2027 elections. According to him, generative AI has made it easier and cheaper to produce fake videos, audio clips and images that are hard to detect. He cited examples from recent elections in West and East Africa, including doctored content linked to Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election that spread widely online before fact-checkers could respond.
Beyond outright fakes, he said algorithmic micro-targeting could allow different and sometimes contradictory messages to be pushed to specific voter groups without any shared factual basis.
“The challenge before us is therefore not merely technological. It is communicative,” he said, calling for closer coordination between electoral technology and public communication.
On preparations for 2027, Amupitan said INEC has proposed a substantial budget with significant allocations for election technology and operations, including funds for new accreditation devices to replace those lost or damaged in the last cycle. He added that while the full release of funds is still being awaited, the commission’s ICT team has started discussions with manufacturers. A technology audit and the proposed mock election are also ongoing.
He acknowledged that glitches during the 2023 elections turned BVAS and the INEC Result Viewing Portal into a source of public suspicion, even though both tools were introduced to let citizens view polling unit results before collation. To address this, he said INEC is conducting a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology, including system redundancy and disaster recovery plans.
Amupitan outlined plans to integrate technology and communication planning, set up a rapid-response team to counter false information, communicate proactively about vulnerabilities, and strengthen partnerships with media scholars, fact-checkers and tech platforms. He also called for sustained investment in public media literacy and invited communication experts to partner with INEC on research and training.
He added that the 2027 electorate will be younger and more reliant on mobile technology, with smartphones likely to be the main channel for election information. However, he cautioned against simply copying solutions from other countries, saying they must be adapted to Nigeria’s realities, including uneven internet access, language diversity and public trust in institutions.
The conference, held at the National Open University Conference Centre, Abuja, was themed: “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruption and the New Dynamics of Electoral Communication.”
