INEC To Deploy 1.4m Corps Members For 2027 Polls

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has disclosed that more than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps will be mobilised nationwide for the 2027 general election.

Amupitan disclosed on Monday during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle O. Nafiu, at the Yakubu Gowon House, the scheme’s headquarters in Abuja.

In a statement signed by Adedayo Oketola, CPS/Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, the commission described the meeting with the NYSC management as more than a routine engagement, saying it was an opportunity to appreciate the critical role corps members continue to play in Nigeria’s electoral process.

According to Amupitan, the NYSC has remained one of the strongest institutional supports for Nigeria’s democracy, with corps members consistently participating in election operations since 1999.

“In the complex architecture of Nigeria’s democracy, there is no pillar more vital than the NYSC. I dare say that INEC cannot conduct elections in Nigeria without the NYSC,” he said.

The INEC chairman explained that corps members make up the largest segment of the commission’s ad hoc election workforce, stressing that their neutrality and professionalism have continued to boost public confidence in the electoral system.

He revealed that INEC deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc staff during the 2023 general election, with more than 70 per cent, nearly 850,000 personnel, drawn from corps members and student volunteers.

Giving details of preparations for the 2027 elections, Amupitan said 707,384 corps members would be required for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for 16 January 2027, while another 707,384 would be deployed for the Governorship and State Assembly elections fixed for 6 February 2027.

He added that the commission would also need 52,446 corps members for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, 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 many states during previous elections.

“These young Nigerians did not just facilitate voting; they protected the sanctity of the ballot in 176,846 polling units across some of the most difficult terrains in the country,” he stated.

The INEC chairman also praised corps members for their digital proficiency, particularly in operating the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during recent elections, including the Anambra governorship poll and the FCT Area Council elections.

He acknowledged the risks often faced by corps members during election duties and assured that the commission would continue to strengthen welfare, insurance and security arrangements in collaboration with security agencies.

“As the 2027 general election approaches, we are committed to working closely with the NYSC to ensure proper training and mobilisation of all ad hoc staff needed for the elections,” he added.

Responding, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Nafiu, commended INEC for sustaining its partnership with the scheme.

He recalled that the Memorandum of Understanding between both organisations was first signed in 2011 and has been periodically renewed.

The NYSC DG described corps members as a credible, reliable, and easily trainable workforce, adding that the incoming Gen Z corps members would bring stronger digital competence to election administration.

He assured INEC of the scheme’s continued support for both the 2027 general election and upcoming off-cycle governorship elections.