2027: AU delegation visits INEC to assess election preparedness

A delegation from the African Union has paid a courtesy visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission as part of the union’s Pre-Election and Needs Assessment Mission to Nigeria, which was scheduled for September 13 to 19, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The delegation, led by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen, was received at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja by the Acting Chairman of INEC, Prof Rhoda Gumus.

According to a tweet via the commission’s official X handle on Tuesday, Mekonnen noted the mission’s significance, saying it was to assess Nigeria’s preparation in areas of voter registration, application of electoral technology, logistics, funding, inclusion, transparency, among others.

Mekonnen also mentioned the identification of potential gaps before, during and after the elections, as well as recommending possible measures to support the election.

He said, “We want to facilitate support and identify gaps, and for possible remedies and corrections for the successful election process.”

In her remarks, Gumus, who represented the INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan, highlighted the several achievements recorded so far by the commission.

She stated that the electoral body was reaching a 100-million voter population, with a workforce for the 2027 elections of over 1.4 million personnel.

Gumus said INEC was preparing for the 2027 general elections on an unprecedented scale, with the voter population approaching 100 million, 176,846 polling units and a workforce exceeding 1.4 million personnel. She added that recent off-cycle elections had provided opportunities for the Commission to test reforms under the new electoral legal framework.

“The Acting Chairman also highlighted INEC’s deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), result viewing through the IReV portal and inter-agency security coordination as part of its efforts to strengthen electoral administration.

She disclosed that the Commission was collaborating with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) through the Continuous Voter Registration Portal to audit, verify and clean the voter register,” the tweet partly read.

The INEC official stressed the need for cooperation across many sectors, while also stating the importance of avoiding gaps during the electoral process.

“Gumus acknowledged that Nigeria’s geographical size and complexity continued to present technological, logistical and political challenges,” the tweet added.

“Electoral integrity is a multi-sectoral endeavour, and international technical support remains vital to bridging operational gaps,” she said.

The tweet also noted areas where AU technical support would be needed, including digital training for ad-hoc staff, e-learning tools, ICT simulations, election-monitoring systems, disinformation countermeasures, AI-driven deepfake detection and strategic communication.

She also called for assistance in strengthening inclusion and gender-mainstreaming frameworks for persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons, women and other underrepresented groups.

“Gumus assured the delegation of INEC’s full transparency and cooperation as it engages with political parties, civil society organisations, security agencies, media executives and development partners during the mission.

“She reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to independence, neutrality and professionalism, stating that every administrative decision would be guided by the law and that the outcome of the 2027 general election would reflect the sovereign will of Nigerian voters,” the tweet concluded.

The INEC official described the mission as “timely and significant to Nigeria’s democratic development,” adding that Nigeria and the AU shared a commitment to democratic standards, institutional integrity and credible electoral governance across the continent.