The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to deploy over 1.4 million ad hoc staff for the 2027 general elections, with a significant number to be drawn from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
This was disclosed during a strategic courtesy visit by the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, alongside National Commissioners, the Commission’s Secretary, directors, and senior officials to the headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps in Abuja.
The delegation was received at the Yakubu Gowon House by the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, and members of the scheme’s senior management team.
Professor Amupitan described the visit as a “mission of profound gratitude,” stressing that corps members have remained a critical pillar of Nigeria’s electoral process since 1999, particularly in roles such as Presiding Officers and Registration Area Officers.
He revealed that INEC had already commenced preparations for the 2027 elections, with plans to mobilise 707,384 corps members for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and another 707,384 for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections fixed for February 6, 2027.
According to him, additional personnel would also be required for off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi, and Kano.
The INEC Chairman further commended corps members for their patriotism, neutrality, and digital competence, particularly in the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), noting that they accounted for a large proportion of election officials in the 2023 general elections.
“In many states, corps members formed nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers. They played a key role in safeguarding the integrity of the ballot across 176,846 polling units nationwide,” he said.
Professor Amupitan also assured that the Commission would strengthen welfare, insurance, and security arrangements for corps members engaged in election duties.
In his remarks, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, reaffirmed the scheme’s readiness to continue supporting electoral processes in partnership with INEC, describing corps members as disciplined and committed national assets.
The visit underscored the longstanding collaboration between INEC and the corps in the conduct of elections across Nigeria.
