2027: AU delegation visits INEC to assess election preparedness

A delegation from the African Union visited Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in an effort to evaluate the country's readiness for the 2027 general elections. The delegation, led by former Ethiopian Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen, was welcomed by INEC Acting Chairman Prof. Rhoda Gumus at the commission's headquarters in Abuja.

Mekonnen emphasized the importance of the mission to identify areas of improvement in voter registration, electoral technology, logistics, funding, inclusion, transparency, and more. Gumus, representing INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, highlighted the commission's progress, including its goal to reach a 100-million voter population, a workforce of over 1.4 million personnel, and the successful implementation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and results viewing through the IReV portal.

She also mentioned the Commission's collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) for voter register audits and cleaning. The delegation discussed the challenges posed by Nigeria's size and complexity, as well as the need for international support in areas such as digital training, e-learning tools, ICT simulations, election-monitoring systems, and disinformation countermeasures.