The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says it is preparing to mobilise over 1.4 million ad hoc staff—largely drawn from the NYSC—for the 2027 general elections.
INEC chairman Professor Joash Amupitan, said this during a visit to the headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Abuja.
Amupitan noted that during the 2023 general elections, INEC deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc personnel, with more than 70 percent made up of corps members and student volunteers.
Providing details of preparations for the 2027 polls, the INEC chairman said 707,384 corps members would be required for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, while another 707,384 would be deployed for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections fixed for February 6, 2027.
He added that additional personnel would also be needed for off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States, as well as bye-elections in several states including Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi, and Kano.
Prof. Amupitan commended corps members for their patriotism, neutrality, discipline, and growing competence in the use of electoral technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
He stated that in many states, corps members make up nearly 90 percent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers, playing a key role in safeguarding the integrity of elections across over 176,000 polling units nationwide.
The INEC chairman also acknowledged the risks associated with election duties and assured that the commission is working to strengthen insurance coverage, welfare packages, and security arrangements for corps members deployed during elections.
