INEC Hosts British High Commissioner, Explores Technology Audit, Mock Presidential Election Ahead of 2027 Polls
Oru Leonard
Abuja – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by the Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan SAN, on Thursday hosted the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, at its headquarters in Abuja, where both parties discussed preparations for the 2027 general election and ongoing cooperation on electoral reforms.
During the courtesy visit, Prof. Amupitan disclosed that the Commission is considering a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems and a mock presidential election to strengthen the credibility and efficiency of the 2027 general election.
He explained that the proposals were informed by lessons from the 2023 general election, particularly concerns over the reliability of election technology, adding that the Commission was reviewing the initiatives as part of broader reforms aimed at improving electoral integrity.
According to Amupitan, the proposed technology audit would assess the Commission’s electoral systems, while the mock presidential election would test the readiness of its processes, personnel and technological infrastructure before the actual polls.
The INEC Chairman acknowledged that the initiatives were not included in the Commission’s current budget but said efforts would be made to secure the necessary resources if they were approved.
He noted that the Commission is also strengthening its technological infrastructure through the continued deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), and enhanced cyber-security measures, including system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery mechanisms.
Prof. Amupitan described election technology and cyber-security as key areas of collaboration between INEC and the United Kingdom, expressing appreciation for the technical support provided by the UK Government and other development partners, including the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).
He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to delivering free, fair, credible and transparent elections, stressing that sustaining public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process requires the collective efforts of political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations, development partners and citizens.
Speaking during the visit, Dr. Montgomery said the United Kingdom remained committed to supporting Nigeria’s democratic development and had been closely following INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections, as well as recent off-cycle elections and the forthcoming Osun State governorship poll.
The British envoy, who is expected to conclude his diplomatic assignment in Nigeria in about six weeks, assured the Commission that the UK’s support would continue under his successor, expressing confidence in the enduring partnership between both countries in strengthening Nigeria’s electoral process.
