INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan has said that the Commission was considering a full audit of its electoral systems and a mock presidential election to test the readiness of its processes and technology ahead of the 2027 polls.

Amupitan disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Amupitan said that the proposals, which were under consideration by the Commission, were informed by concerns arising from the 2023 general election, particularly over the reliability of election technology.

According to him, although the proposed exercises were not included in INEC’s budget, the Commission would explore ways to implement them because of their potential to enhance the credibility of the elections.

The INEC chairman said that the initiatives were part of broader efforts to improve technological reliability, including the continued deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as well as an ongoing review of the Commission’s cybersecurity architecture covering system redundancy.

‎‎The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday validated the guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.

‎‎In a unanimous judgment delivered by the justices , the appellate court voided and set aside the May 20 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had nullified the guidelines and barred their implementation.

‎‎In the lead judgment, prepared by Justice Adebukola Banjoko and read by Justice Okon Abang, the Court of Appeal held that the Youth Party (YP), which instituted the case against INEC, lacked the legal standing (locus standi) to do so.‎‎

Justice Banjoko stated that the party did not explain how the guidelines affected it and its members in the conduct of its primary elections for the nomination of candidates for the 2027 polls.‎‎

The Court also held that the YP failed to establish how the guidelines affected the submission of its nominated candidates to INEC.‎‎

The three Justices unanimously agreed that Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court, who on May 20 nullified the guidelines on the ground that they violated some provisions of the Electoral Act, did so in gross error and occasioned a miscarriage of justice.‎‎

INEC, which filed the appeal against the High Court decision, had argued that the lower court erred in law when it failed to pronounce on the jurisdictional issue of the suit being hypothetical and academic, and a denial of fair hearing to the appellant.

‎‎INEC, through its lead counsel, Alex Izinyon SAN, had asked the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court which nullified part of the election guidelines put in place by the agency for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.‎‎

The lawyer said the lower court erred in law when it held:

“It is clear from the wording of Sections 29(1), 82, and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the following can be understood. Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 mandates political parties to submit the names of candidates first in the prescribed forms of the candidates who emerged from its valid primaries, which such political party intends to sponsor at the elections, not later than 120 days before the date of the General election.‎‎

“What is required of political parties to do under the Electoral Act, 2026 is to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before the holding of its primaries, congresses, or conventions, conference, or meeting convened for the election of its executive committees, other governing bodies, or nominating candidates.‎‎

“The defendant is not mandated to impose a timeframe for political parties to conduct their primaries, provided that it will be done and submitted not later than the 120 days provided by the Electoral Act, 2026. See Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.”

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has successfully completed the upload of its Presidential, Vice-Presidential, and National Assembly candidates on the INEC portal for the 2027 General Elections.

Hon Nafiu Bala Gombe, National Chairman, ADC confirmed the development on Monday .

“This achievement demonstrates our Party’s firm commitment to safeguarding the interests of our founding and legacy members in the face of anti-democratic tendencies.

As a Party, the ADC remains resolute in its mission to field credible, competent, and people-centered candidates who will provide purposeful leadership, promote good governance, and bring hope to the Nigerian people.”