By Our Reporter
The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced plans to deploy more than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps as ad hoc staff for the 2027 general election.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle O. Nafiu, at the NYSC headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
Amupitan described the meeting as more than a formal visit, saying it was a mission of gratitude to the NYSC for its longstanding support to Nigeria’s electoral process.
According to him, the NYSC remains a critical pillar in the conduct of elections in Nigeria, stressing that INEC would find it difficult to conduct elections successfully without corps members.
“You provide the heartbeat of our field operations. When we speak of election manpower, we are essentially speaking of your corps members. They are the most dedicated, educated, and patriotic election duty staff we have,” he said.
The INEC chairman recalled that during the 2023 general election, the commission deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc personnel, with over 70 per cent — nearly 850,000 workers — drawn from corps members and student volunteers.
Giving details of preparations for the 2027 polls, Amupitan said INEC would require 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.
He added that an additional 52,446 corps members would be needed for the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.
Amupitan noted that corps members accounted for nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers in several states during previous elections, adding that they played vital roles in protecting the sanctity of the ballot across 176,846 polling units nationwide.
He also praised the digital skills of corps members, especially in the operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System during recent off-cycle elections in Anambra State and the FCT Area Council polls.
The INEC chairman acknowledged the risks associated with election duties and assured that the commission would continue to work with the NYSC and security agencies to improve safety measures, insurance coverage and welfare packages for corps members.
“As the 2027 general election approaches, we are committed to proper training and mobilisation of all ad hoc staff needed for these elections,” he said while formally requesting continued support from the NYSC.
Responding, Nafiu said the Memorandum of Understanding between INEC and the NYSC, first signed in 2011, had continued to strengthen collaboration between both organisations.
He described corps members as credible, reliable and easily trainable manpower, adding that the incoming Generation Z corps members would further enhance INEC’s electoral operations because of their digital proficiency.
The NYSC boss assured INEC of the scheme’s continued support for both the 2027 general election and forthcoming off-cycle polls.