The African Union has commenced a seven-day pre-election and needs assessment mission in Nigeria to evaluate the country’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections.
The mission, which began on September 13 and ends on September 19, is led by former Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonen Hassen.
The assessment will examine Nigeria’s preparedness across the entire electoral cycle, including voter registration, technology, logistics, funding, security, inclusion and results management.
With the 2027 elections expected to involve nearly 100 million registered voters, 176,846 polling units and more than 1.4 million ad hoc personnel, the AU says early preparation is critical to ensuring credible and peaceful polls.
Hassen urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to demonstrate its readiness, particularly in ensuring the credibility of the voters’ register, reliable deployment of technology and transparent management of results.
The AU delegation is also assessing INEC’s collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission on integrating National Identification Numbers into the Continuous Voter Registration process.
INEC, represented by National Commissioner Professor Rhoda Gumus, said recent off-cycle elections had provided opportunities to test and improve its systems ahead of 2027.
Gumus cited the August 15 Osun governorship election, where she said more than 94 percent of polling units opened early and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System performed optimally.
The commission is also seeking AU technical support in training ad hoc personnel, combating AI-generated disinformation and deepfakes, strengthening strategic communication, and improving inclusion for women, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons and young people.
The assessment will further examine election security, funding, logistics and the management and publication of results under Nigeria’s new electoral legal framework.
The AU says its intervention is preventive and supportive, aimed at identifying potential risks early and providing recommendations before election day.
Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.