The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has assured Nigerians that the commission is working swiftly to resolve the network challenges experienced during the recent mock accreditation exercise in Anambra State.
The exercise, held over the weekend, was part of INEC’s preparations for the November 8, 2025, governorship election.
Speaking at a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Abuja on Tuesday, Amupitan said the commission remained fully prepared for the poll, emphasizing INEC’s commitment to conducting a smooth, transparent, and credible election process.
Amupitan explained that the mock exercise was conducted in 12 polling units across six local government areas using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). He acknowledged minor network issues during the test but assured that corrective measures were being taken to guarantee seamless performance on election day.
The INEC chairman revealed that about 24,000 personnel would be deployed across 5,718 polling units in the state, noting that voting would not take place in two polling units where no registered voters were recorded. Results, he said, would be collated at 326 ward centres, 21 local government collation centres, and finally at the state collation centre in Awka.
Presiding over his first ICCES meeting since assuming office, Amupitan pledged to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system. He said the commission under his leadership would ensure that the outcome of elections truly reflects the will of the people.
Responding to reports that only 63.9 per cent of registered voters had collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), Amupitan announced an extension of the collection period.
The exercise will now run from Wednesday, October 29, to Sunday, November 2, 2025, to enable more voters to collect their cards and participate in the election.
