INEC Conducts Mock Accreditation, Voting Exercise Ahead of FCT Area Council Polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday conducted a mock accreditation and voting exercise across the Federal Capital Territory as part of preparations for the Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026.

The exercise was aimed at testing the commission’s operational readiness and strengthening the capacity of election officials ahead of the polls.

Addressing Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO) trainees during a train-the-trainers session, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), urged participants to take the training seriously and familiarise themselves with the official manual prepared by the commission.

“What is happening here is very interactive. It is not just about what you are taught, but about your understanding of what is being taught. Your instructors are guiding you based on a manual we have prepared to ensure uniformity across the area councils,” he said.

Amupitan reminded the trainees of their statutory duties and warned against compromise, stressing that Nigeria urgently needs a credible and stable electoral process.

According to him, the commission is committed to restoring public confidence in the electoral system through proper training, simulations and field testing.

Speaking to journalists during the field assessment of the mock exercise, the INEC chairman expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), describing it as a “game changer” in Nigeria’s electoral process.

“This is basically to test our preparedness ahead of the election. Our major focus is the functionality of the BVAS. We have improved on it and we do not want to use the main election as a guinea pig,” he said.

He explained that the mock poll allowed the commission to test both the device and recent upgrades in a simulated election environment.

“So far, I am very satisfied that the BVAS has worked excellently well. At this polling unit, about 11 voters have been accredited and have voted. We even simulated a real scenario by asking someone who had already voted to return, and the BVAS immediately flagged that the person had already been accredited,” he said.

Amupitan noted that the system makes double accreditation and multiple voting impossible.

“With this technology, there is no way you can be accredited twice. There is no way you can vote twice. After voting, the results sheet is signed as in a normal election, and party agents are present to observe the process,” he added.

Although civil society observers were expected at the exercise, the INEC chairman said the mock poll still provided useful feedback and also served as a voter sensitisation exercise.

“From what I have seen, it is a very worthy exercise. We are also using this to create awareness and mobilise voters to come out and vote on February 21,” he said.

On preparedness, Amupitan said all batches of non-sensitive materials had been deployed, training was ongoing, and presiding officers would be trained next week, adding that the functionality of all systems was satisfactory.

He acknowledged concerns over voter apathy but expressed optimism that turnout would improve.

“Voter apathy has been with us for several years, but I am sure this one will be much better. We are using every means to pass the message across that the election will take place on February 21, 2026,” he said.

Addressing challenges in rural and satellite communities, particularly network issues, Amupitan said INEC had put contingency measures in place.

On electronic transmission of results, he said the matter remained before the National Assembly.

“The law-making process is ongoing. There will be harmonisation between the two chambers. Let us not create unnecessary tension,” he said.

The post INEC Conducts Mock Accreditation, Voting Exercise Ahead of FCT Area Council Polls appeared first on Politics Nigeria.