For the 2027 general elections, INEC’s job is harder than in 2023. According to available records, we now have almost 103 million registered voters as against 93 million in 2023; 176,846 polling units, and everyone still remembers IReV failure. The new Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan has listed 5 core tasks to include money and logistics as the biggest problem now.
INEC budget for 2027 is put at N873.7 billion: N379b for operations, N209b tech and N154b capital expenditure. So far only N500b has reportedly been released in June, leaving a gap of N371b still outstanding as of October. They inaugurated a multi-agency logistics committee made up of security, NURTW, Navy and Air Force, to move materials. Lesson from 2023: materials arrived late, polling units opened 11am. Some ad-hoc staff is needed up to 1.4 million people. The recruitment deadline is put to November 18, 2026.
Next is fixing the technology and trusting it. This is the main task before INEC. Some 57,000 new BVAS have reportedly been bought and being stress-tested in October nationwide. Thereafter, mock accreditation will follow in November 2026. INEC is considering doing a full mock presidential poll before January 2027 to test BVAS + IReV. This has never been done before.
Furthermore, an audit of all systems for cyber-attack. A new AI Division has reportedly been created inside ICT Dept to catch AI-generated fake results, fake videos of candidates. After 2023 where BVAS worked but IReV upload failed, they must prove upload works live.
There will also be Voter Register Clean-up and PVC. Display of register is fixed for October 9-15, 2026, which has just finished – for people to check spelling, dead people, double registration, etc. PVC collection started October 9. Amupitan said PVCs now at all LGAs. If you did transfer in Lagos, go to your LGA INEC office to collect your PVC. Linking NIN to voter register to weed out foreigners and duplicates is also in the plan.
Neutrality and security: Campaigns officially started August 19, 2026. First National Peace Accord signed August 18. INEC says “We Will Be Neutral” – but police and EU observers say need early threat mapping. They are working with ICCES (Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security) because 2023 had 109 attacks on INEC facilities. Also fight vote-buying with EFCC, ICPC, NFIU – they said they will monitor bank transfers this time.
Election Timetable – Dates to know: Mock accreditation November 2026. Final voter register January 11, 2027. Presidential/NASS election is January 16, 2027. Campaign ends February 18, 2027. Possible presidential runoff is set for February 28, 2027. Governorship/State Assembly March 6 in some releases. INEC itself appears confused on final date – some docs say Jan 16, some say Feb 20. People are waiting for the final gazette.
The real test is that in 2023 Nigerians trusted BVAS but lost trust when results didn’t appear on IReV. For 2027, INEC’s task is not just to conduct election, but to prove in real time that IReV works. If mock in November fails, that would mark the beginning of crisis. That means INEC should ensure that it doesn’t fail the test to avoid trouble. At this juncture, the question to the electorate is whether they have collected their PVC. That is the weapon you have to decide who wins the election.
Once again, Presidential and National Assembly is Saturday, January 16, 2027. Governorship and State Assembly is Saturday, February 6, 2027. That is the revised timetable under the new Electoral Act 2026. That was INEC’s first timetable announced February 4-13, 2026, based on old Electoral Act 2022 rule that says “3rd Saturday in February”. But after the National Assembly passed a new Electoral Act 2026, timelines for primaries, nominations shortened. So INEC had to bring election forward to January. New timetable released February 26, 2026.
INEC confirmed this again in August 2026: “Timetable remains unchanged” – meaning January 16 / February 6 stands. Plus runoff (if no presidential winner) set on February 28, 2027. Campaign for president started August 19, 2026 and ends Jan 14, 2027 (24hrs before the presidential election). So if anyone is planning to travel, Jan 16 is the main day.
Dr. Onyekakeyah, a former member of The Guardian Editorial Board, is a public affairs commentator and columnist for Daily Query.
