By Precious Mark
The Canadian High Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic and electoral framework ahead of the 2027 General Election, as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the August 15 Osun State Governorship Election as its operational gold standard.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the Chargé d’Affaires of Canada to Nigeria, Mr. David Sproule, stated that Canada remains dedicated to assisting partner nations in strengthening democratic processes to ensure elections are free, fair, and legitimate.
He pledged continued Canadian collaboration across critical areas, including technical assistance, voter participation, civic education, election observation, and deepening gender inclusion.
Receiving the Canadian delegation, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, appreciated Canada’s sustained bilateral support, emphasizing that the Commission’s primary mandate is to deliver transparent elections that accurately reflect the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.
Highlighting recent operational milestones, Prof. Amupitan pointed to the August 15 Osun governorship election as a major success story, disclosing that 3,556 out of 3,763 polling units—representing 94.5%—opened for accreditation and voting precisely by 8:30 a.m.
He noted that optimal performance from the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), seamless real-time result uploads, and proactive crisis management characterized the exercise.
“We view the success in Osun not as a final destination, but as the gold standard that will guide our preparations for 2027,” the Chairman stated.
To prepare for the upcoming general elections, Prof. Amupitan outlined five strategic priorities: consolidating technology, deepening inclusivity, strengthening institutional capacity, countering misinformation, and conducting a nationwide mock accreditation in November 2026 to field-test equipment under operational conditions.
Additionally, the Commission announced the establishment of a specialized Artificial Intelligence (AI) Unit to explore responsible AI deployment in voter registration and results transmission, while safeguarding against deepfakes and digital disinformation.
Prof. Amupitan noted that managing the 2027 polls will mark one of the largest human resource mobilizations in the country’s history, requiring the deployment of approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.