By Palang Paul
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has announced plans to deploy more than 1.4 million ad hoc personnel largely drawn from the National Youth Service Corps for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Amupitan disclosed this during a strategic visit by top INEC officials to the NYSC headquarters in Abuja on Monday 11 May 2026, where the delegation was received by the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, and senior management staff.
Describing the meeting as “a mission of profound gratitude,” the INEC chairman praised the contribution of corps members to Nigeria’s democratic process, noting that they have remained the backbone of election administration since 1999.
According to him, INEC deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc personnel during the 2023 general elections, with corps members and student volunteers accounting for more than 70 percent of the workforce.
He revealed that the commission 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 on February 6, 2027.
Amupitan added that additional personnel would also be needed for off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti State and Osun State, as well as bye-elections in Nasarawa State, Enugu State, Rivers State, Ondo State, Kebbi State and Kano State.
He commended corps members for their neutrality, discipline, and digital competence, especially in operating the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), stressing that many served as Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers across Nigeria’s 176,846 polling units.
“In many states, corps members accounted for nearly 90 percent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers. They protected the sanctity of the ballot nationwide,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chairman also assured the NYSC leadership that the commission would strengthen welfare, insurance, and security arrangements for corps members deployed during elections.
Responding, NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Nafiu reaffirmed the scheme’s commitment to supporting credible elections, describing corps members as “reliable, patriotic, and easily trainable manpower.”
He noted that the outgoing generation of millennials within the scheme would soon be replaced by digitally skilled Gen Z corps members whose ICT proficiency would enhance modern electoral operations.
Nafiu further appealed for improved welfare packages, compensation, and insurance coverage for corps members participating in election duties, saying better support would motivate them to continue serving the nation effectively.
He assured INEC of the NYSC’s readiness to fully mobilise corps members and administrative personnel for the 2027 elections as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
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