The Canadian government has pledged continued support for Nigeria’s electoral process as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) begins preparations for the 2027 General Election.
The Chargé d’Affaires of Canada to Nigeria, David Sproule, gave the assurance on a visit to INEC’s headquarters in Abuja, where he led a delegation from the Canadian High Commission.
Sproule said Canada was interested in seeing Nigeria strengthen its democratic institutions and deliver elections that Nigerians could trust.
He said the country would continue to support areas including electoral participation, women’s inclusion, public awareness, technical assistance and election observation.
Canada, he added, would also share relevant expertise and information with INEC as preparations for the 2027 elections continue.
INEC: Osun Election Provides a Benchmark
Receiving the delegation, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, described Nigeria’s relationship with Canada as a longstanding partnership based on democratic values, the rule of law and good governance.
Amupitan thanked the Canadian government for its support for electoral governance, civic education, institutional development and gender inclusion.
He said INEC had been using recent off-cycle elections to test its systems and identify areas that require improvement before the 2027 general elections.
The Chairman mentioned the Anambra, Ekiti and FCT Area Council elections among the polls used by the Commission to assess its operational arrangements.
But he placed particular emphasis on the recently held Osun State Governorship Election, which took place on August 15, 2026.
According to him, 3,556 out of 3,763 polling units, representing 94.5 per cent, opened for accreditation and voting by 8:30 a.m.
He also pointed to the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the uploading of results to the IReV portal and the Commission’s response to emerging challenges during the election.
“We view the success in Osun not as a final destination, but as the gold standard that will guide our preparations for 2027,” Amupitan said.
The statement captures INEC’s approach to the off-cycle elections: use them to test what works, identify weaknesses and make changes before the much bigger national contest.
Campaigns for 2027 Already Underway
Amupitan also disclosed that the statutory period for public campaigns and rallies ahead of the 2027 General Election began on August 19, 2026.
A day earlier, INEC joined other stakeholders at the signing of the First National Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns by presidential candidates, organised under the National Peace Committee.
With political activities already picking up, Amupitan said the Commission was concentrating on five areas as it prepares for the general election.
They include building on technological improvements, expanding electoral inclusion, strengthening institutional capacity, tackling misinformation and protecting the integrity of the electoral process.
INEC Plans Nationwide BVAS Test
One of the major preparations will be a nationwide mock accreditation exercise scheduled for November 2026.
The exercise will give INEC an opportunity to put the BVAS and other electoral equipment through field tests before the general election.
Amupitan said the exercise would help the Commission identify and address operational problems early.
For INEC, the aim is to carry the lessons from recent elections, particularly Osun, into the 2027 polls while working with partners such as Canada on areas that can improve voter participation and confidence in the electoral process.
Canada’s latest commitment comes as preparations for the 2027 election move from planning into a more active phase, with campaigns already permitted and INEC testing its systems ahead of the national poll.
Share this
