The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed plans to deploy more than 1.4 million ad hoc personnel, largely made up of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, for the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, made this known during a strategic courtesy visit to the headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps in Abuja.
The INEC delegation, which included national commissioners, directors, and senior officials, was received by the NYSC Director-General, Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, alongside members of the scheme’s management team at Yakubu Gowon House.
Speaking during the visit, Amupitan described corps members as vital to Nigeria’s electoral process, noting that they had remained the backbone of election operations since 1999.
According to him, the commission deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc staff during the 2023 general elections, with over 70 per cent of the workforce consisting of corps members and student volunteers.
He revealed that INEC would require about 707,384 personnel for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and another 707,384 officials for the Governorship and State Assembly elections fixed for February 6, 2027.
The INEC chairman added that additional personnel would also be needed for off-cycle governorship elections and bye-elections expected in several states, including Ekiti, Osun, Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi, and Kano.
Amupitan praised corps members for their neutrality, discipline, and digital competence, especially in handling the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
“In many states, corps members accounted for nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers across polling units nationwide,” he said.
He also acknowledged the risks associated with election duties and assured the NYSC leadership that INEC was working to improve insurance coverage, welfare packages, and security arrangements for corps members engaged in election assignments.
Responding, Brigadier General Nafiu commended the longstanding collaboration between both institutions, describing corps members as reliable and patriotic manpower for national assignments.
He assured INEC of the NYSC’s readiness to fully mobilise corps members and administrative personnel for the 2027 elections, while also calling for better welfare and compensation packages for those involved in election duties.
The NYSC DG further noted that the emergence of more digitally savvy Gen Z corps members would strengthen modern electoral operations and improve efficiency during future elections.
