The African Union (AU) has commenced a seven-day pre-election and needs assessment mission in Nigeria, putting the preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 general elections under close scrutiny.
The mission, which began on September 13 and will run until September 19, 2026, is expected to assess Nigeria’s electoral preparedness, identify potential gaps and provide recommendations aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to deliver credible, transparent, peaceful and inclusive elections.
The assessment is being led by former Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonen Hassen.
The intervention comes as Nigeria prepares for a potentially massive electoral exercise involving a projected electorate of almost 100 million registered voters, 176,846 polling units and more than 1.4 million ad hoc personnel expected to be deployed across the country.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are billed for February 6, 2027.
Speaking during the assessment, Hassen said the AU mission would examine the entire electoral cycle, covering the pre-election period, election-day operations and the management of results.
He stressed that the credibility of an election was largely determined by the quality of preparations undertaken before voters arrived at polling units.
Hassen therefore challenged INEC to demonstrate its readiness in critical areas, including the credibility of the voter register, deployment and reliability of electoral technology, logistics, funding, inclusion, transparency, security coordination and results management.
The mission is also examining unresolved legal and administrative issues that could affect the elections, as well as measures designed to safeguard INEC’s institutional independence while ensuring effective coordination with security agencies.
One of the major areas of interest to the AU delegation is Nigeria’s voter register, particularly as the number of eligible voters continues to approach the 100-million threshold.
The mission is seeking assurances that the register will be comprehensive, credible and subjected to adequate scrutiny by political parties, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders before the elections.
The issue has assumed greater importance with INEC’s intensified collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on the integration of National Identification Numbers into the Continuous Voter Registration process.
The collaboration is intended to strengthen voter identification and verification, improve the auditing and cleaning of the register and address vulnerabilities capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral roll.
Responding to the AU assessment, INEC, represented by National Commissioner Prof. Rhoda Gumus on behalf of the Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, pointed to recent off-cycle elections as evidence of the commission’s efforts to test and improve its systems ahead of 2027.
Gumus cited the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election as a significant operational benchmark.
According to her, more than 94 per cent of polling units opened early during the election, while the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was described as optimal.
She also highlighted the deployment of the INEC Results Viewing (IRV) portal to address operational issues encountered during the election, as well as improved coordination among security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security Matters.
Gumus said elections conducted in Anambra, the Federal Capital Territory, Ekiti and other locations had similarly enabled the commission to test its systems, identify operational weaknesses and refine procedures in line with the Electoral Act 2026.
The enormous scale of the 2027 elections means INEC will also have to recruit, train and deploy more than 1.4 million temporary election personnel.
The commission has identified the management and training of this workforce as an area where technical support from the AU could improve operational efficiency.
INEC is seeking AU assistance in digital training, e-learning programmes, simulation exercises and standardised information and communications technology training for ad hoc personnel who will be deployed nationwide.
The commission believes enhanced preparation of election workers will be critical to ensuring consistency in the application of procedures across the country.
Another emerging area of concern is information integrity, particularly the use of artificial intelligence to generate deceptive content capable of influencing voters and undermining confidence in electoral institutions.
INEC is seeking technical cooperation from the AU to strengthen its capacity to detect and respond to election-related disinformation, including AI-generated deepfakes and other manipulated content.
The commission is also seeking support for rapid-response strategic communication mechanisms that can identify and counter false narratives before they gain traction and escalate into wider threats to electoral credibility and public order.
Beyond technology and logistics, the AU assessment is also examining the inclusiveness of Nigeria’s electoral process.
INEC has requested support for capacity-building programmes and operational workshops for its Election Monitoring and Support Centre, alongside technical assistance on inclusion and gender mainstreaming.
The commission said attention would be given to groups that have historically faced barriers to political participation, including persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons, women, young people and other underrepresented groups.
INEC also plans to strengthen monitoring of political parties’ compliance with gender-related requirements.
The commission maintained that technological advancement and operational efficiency must be matched by measures that make the electoral process accessible to all eligible citizens.
Funding and logistics also feature prominently in the AU’s assessment.
Hassen sought clarity on whether INEC would receive adequate and timely funding to execute its electoral programme, as well as the measures being put in place to address logistical challenges that could affect the movement of personnel and sensitive election materials.
The AU delegation is seeking assurances that security arrangements for the 2027 elections will adequately protect voters, candidates, election officials and other stakeholders while respecting the constitutional independence of INEC.
The mission is also assessing how security agencies and the electoral commission will coordinate their responsibilities without compromising the neutrality and autonomy of the electoral process.
Results management under new legal framework
The AU wants to understand how election results will be transmitted, managed, verified and published under Nigeria’s new legal framework, with particular emphasis on transparency, integrity and timely declaration.
Hassen described the AU intervention as a supporting and preventive exercise, rather than an attempt to take over Nigeria’s electoral responsibilities.
He said the objective was to identify potential risks early enough to enable relevant institutions to take corrective measures before election day.
According to him, credible elections require a level playing field, broad citizen participation, transparency and outcomes capable of securing the confidence and acceptance of competing political interests and the wider population.
INEC assured the visiting delegation of its full cooperation throughout the assessment.
The commission pledged to provide access to relevant operational data, directors and technical teams to enable the AU to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the country’s electoral preparedness.
