The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed plans to deploy more than 1.4 million ad hoc staff, mainly National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, for the 2027 general elections.
This was disclosed on Monday during a strategic courtesy visit by the INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, and other top officials of the commission to the headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps in Abuja.
The delegation was received by the Director-General of the NYSC, Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, alongside members of the scheme’s management team at the Yakubu Gowon House.
Speaking during the meeting, Amupitan described the visit as a “mission of profound gratitude,” stressing that corps members have remained vital to Nigeria’s electoral process since 1999.
According to him, INEC will require about 707,384 corps members for the Presidential and National Assembly elections slated for January 16, 2027, and another 707,384 personnel for the Governorship and State Assembly elections scheduled for February 6, 2027.
He added that additional personnel would also be needed for off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi, and Kano states.
The INEC chairman noted that during the 2023 general elections, the commission deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc staff, with over 70 per cent — nearly 850,000 personnel — made up of corps members and student volunteers.
Amupitan praised NYSC members for their patriotism, discipline, neutrality, and digital skills, especially in operating the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
“In many states, corps members made up nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers, helping to safeguard votes across 176,846 polling units nationwide,” he said.
He also assured the NYSC leadership that INEC was working to improve insurance, welfare, and security arrangements for corps members involved in election duties.
Responding, Nafiu commended the long-standing partnership between INEC and the NYSC, describing corps members as credible, reliable, and easily trainable manpower for election operations.
He stated that the scheme remained committed to supporting the conduct of free, fair, and credible elections across Nigeria.
Nafiu further noted that the outgoing generation of millennials in the scheme would soon be replaced by digitally skilled Gen Z corps members whose ICT knowledge would strengthen modern electoral processes.
The NYSC DG also called for better welfare packages, compensation, and insurance for corps members participating in elections, stressing that improved support would encourage dedication and commitment.
Over the years, some corps members have reportedly lost their lives during election-related violence, with concerns often raised about inadequate compensation for affected families.
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