INEC adopts Osun election as model for 2027 polls

Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has designated the recent Osun State governorship election as a benchmark for its preparations for the 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, stated that the commission intends to build upon the advancements observed during the August 15 election.

Professor Amupitan specifically pointed to improvements in several key areas during the Osun election. These include the timely opening of polling units, the effective performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the successful electronic transmission of results via the IReV portal, and the commission's adept management of electoral challenges. He noted that 94.5 percent of polling units opened by 8:30 AM, with 3,556 out of 3,763 units operational.

During a visit from a Canadian High Commission delegation led by Chargé d’Affaires David Sproule, Amupitan emphasized that INEC has been utilizing recent off-cycle elections, such as those in Anambra, Ekiti, and the Federal Capital Territory, to refine its operational procedures. He described the Osun election's success not as an endpoint but as the "gold standard" to guide future preparations.

Looking ahead to 2027, INEC has identified five priority areas: consolidating technological improvements, expanding electoral inclusion, strengthening institutional capacity, combating misinformation, and protecting electoral integrity. The commission plans a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026 to test BVAS and other equipment. INEC anticipates needing approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel for the 2027 elections, which will span over 176,000 polling units, representing one of the largest personnel mobilizations for a single national operation in Nigeria. Additionally, INEC has established an artificial intelligence unit to explore responsible deployment of AI in areas like voter registration and data management, and to counter emerging threats such as deepfakes and disinformation.

“

We view the success in Osun not as a final destination, but as the gold standard that will guide our preparations for 2027.