The Independent National Electoral Commission has described the ongoing bye-elections in Gombe, Kano, Bauchi and Delta states as crucial operational exercises that will provide valuable lessons ahead of the 2027 General Election.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, stated this on Saturday while monitoring the elections from the commission’s National Situation Room at its headquarters in Abuja.

The bye-elections are being conducted across five legislative constituencies in the four states.

They include the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency in Gombe State, Dawakin Kudu State Constituency in Kano State, Sakwa and Disina State Constituencies in Bauchi State, and Udu State Constituency in Delta State.

Amupitan said the commission was using the elections to assess its operational preparedness and identify areas that require improvement before the 2027 General Election.

He described the bye-elections as important “dress rehearsals” for the commission, stressing that each electoral exercise provides an opportunity to test INEC’s systems and procedures.

“These four bye-elections provide indispensable operational lessons for the Commission as we systematically chart our roadmap toward the 2027 General Election,” the INEC chairman said.

He explained that the commission would assess its logistics, technological systems, field operations and personnel during the elections.

According to him, the experience gained would help INEC strengthen its processes and address identified challenges ahead of the general elections.

“Our primary mandate in the Situation Room is monitoring and proactive crisis resolution,” Amupitan said.

He added that administrative and field challenges identified before election day had been addressed, while the commission remained committed to improving the efficiency and credibility of the electoral process.

The INEC chairman also commended national commissioners, senior management officials and other personnel involved in monitoring the elections through the Situation Room.

The commission had earlier deployed personnel and sensitive electoral materials to the affected constituencies and conducted training for election officials ahead of the polls.

The training covered polling procedures, the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, result transmission, the INEC Result Viewing Portal and other aspects of election-day operations.

The Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency election, in particular, has attracted significant attention, with hundreds of thousands of registered voters expected to participate across the constituency.

The bye-elections are being closely watched as INEC continues preparations for the 2027 General Election, which will involve a significantly larger number of voters, polling units and electoral personnel nationwide.

The commission's assessment of the four-state elections is therefore expected to contribute to its planning and operational adjustments ahead of the 2027 polls.