Massive Election Plan: Independent National Electoral Commission To Deploy Over 1.4 Million NYSC Members For 2027 Polls

The disclosure was made on Monday by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, during a strategic courtesy visit to the headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Abuja.

Amupitan led a delegation of national commissioners, directors, senior aides, and the commission’s secretary to the meeting, where they were received by the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, alongside members of the scheme’s management team at the Yakubu Gowon House.

Speaking during the visit, the INEC chairman described the engagement as more than a routine visit, saying it was an opportunity to appreciate the NYSC for its continued support in Nigeria’s electoral process.

He praised corps members for their vital contributions to election management since 1999, especially in roles such as presiding officers and registration area officers across polling units nationwide.

According to him, INEC deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc workers during the 2023 general elections, with over 70 per cent — nearly 850,000 personnel — made up of corps members and student volunteers.

Providing details of preparations for the 2027 elections, Amupitan revealed that INEC 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 Assembly elections fixed 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 commended corps members for their discipline, neutrality, patriotism, and ability to handle technology-driven election processes, particularly 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 the integrity of voting across 176,846 polling units,” he stated.

Amupitan also acknowledged the risks associated with election duties and assured the NYSC leadership that INEC would continue improving welfare, security, and insurance arrangements for corps members deployed during elections.

In his response, Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu praised the long-standing collaboration between INEC and the NYSC, describing corps members as dependable, patriotic, and easy to train.

He noted that the incoming generation of corps members, largely made up of digitally skilled Gen Z graduates, would further strengthen modern electoral operations.

Nafiu also appealed for better welfare packages, compensation, and insurance coverage for corps members involved in election assignments, stressing that adequate support would encourage them to continue serving effectively.

He assured INEC of the NYSC’s full commitment to mobilising corps members and administrative staff to support the successful conduct of the 2027 elections.