INEC to Deploy Over 1.4 Million Corps Members for 2027 Elections
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has revealed that the commission will require over 1.4 million ad hoc staff for the 2027 general elections, with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) providing the overwhelming majority of that workforce.
Amupitan made the disclosure on Monday during a courtesy visit to Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, the Director General of the NYSC, at the Yakubu Gowon House in Abuja. He described the meeting as more than a formal visit, saying it was “a mission of profound gratitude.”
According to the INEC chairman, as reported through his public address at the visit, corps members have participated in most election cycles since 1999, and the commission cannot conduct elections without the NYSC.
“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, and their presence at the polling units brings a level of neutrality and public confidence that is irreplaceable,” he said.
Amupitan disclosed that during the 2023 general elections, INEC deployed approximately 1.2 million ad hoc staff, with over 70 percent drawn from the NYSC and student volunteers. He said corps members accounted for nearly 90 percent of registration area officers and presiding officers in many states.
“These young Nigerians did not just facilitate voting; they protected the sanctity of the ballot in 176,846 polling units across the most difficult terrains of this country,” he said.
On the 2027 elections, the INEC chairman stated that 707,384 corps members would be required for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and the same number for the Governorship and Houses of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027, bringing the total to 1,414,768 corps members.
He added that 52,446 additional corps members would be needed for the Ekiti and Osun State governorship elections, as well as bye elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.
Amupitan also credited corps members for their role in deploying INEC’s Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), saying their digital proficiency ensured the technology performed seamlessly during recent elections, including the Anambra and Federal Capital Territory council polls.
He acknowledged that corps members had sometimes paid a heavy price in the line of electoral duty and assured that INEC was committed to strengthening safety protocols and welfare packages in consultation with the NYSC and security agencies.
“We are constantly refining our insurance and welfare packages to reflect the value we place on their lives,” he said, according to a statement from the commission.
The figures presented by the INEC chairman underline the scale of the commission’s dependence on young Nigerians serving under the NYSC scheme to deliver one of Africa’s most logistically complex democratic exercises.