INEC to Engage 1.4 Million Corps Members for 2027 General Elections

Jane Salihu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will mobilise more than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as ad hoc personnel for the 2027 general election.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, at the scheme’s headquarters in Abuja.

Amupitan described the NYSC as an indispensable partner in Nigeria’s electoral process, stating that the commission cannot conduct credible elections without the support of corps members.

“You provide the heartbeat of our field operations. When we speak of election manpower, we are essentially speaking of your corps members,” he said.

According to the INEC chairman, 707,384 corps members will be deployed for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the same number will be engaged for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027.
This brings the total number of corps members to be utilised for the two nationwide polls to 1,414,768.

Amupitan noted that an additional 52,446 corps members would be required for the 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 noted that during the 2023 general election, over 70 per cent of the 1.2 million ad hoc staff engaged by INEC were corps members and student volunteers.

“In many states, corps members made up nearly 90 per cent of our Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers,” Amupitan said, praising their role in safeguarding the integrity of voting across 176,846 polling units nationwide.

He also highlighted the corps members’ digital proficiency, particularly in operating the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which he said contributed to the smooth conduct of recent elections, including the governorship poll in Anambra State and the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory.

The INEC chairman assured the NYSC that the commission would continue to strengthen security, insurance and welfare arrangements to protect corps members deployed for election duties.

As preparations intensify for the 2027 polls, he formally requested the continued support of the NYSC in training and mobilising corps members for both general and off-cycle elections.

Responding, NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Nafiu reaffirmed the scheme’s commitment to supporting INEC.

He described corps members as credible, dependable and easily trainable, adding that the emergence of Gen Z participants—known for their digital skills—would further enhance election administration.

Nafiu assured the commission of the NYSC’s full cooperation in the 2027 general election and all off-cycle polls leading up to it.