By: Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced plans to deploy more than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps as ad hoc staff for the 2027 general elections, underscoring the critical role corps members continue to play in Nigeria’s democratic process.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle O. Nafiu, at the Yakubu Gowon House in Abuja on Monday.

Speaking during the meeting, Amupitan described the partnership between INEC and the NYSC as indispensable, declaring that elections in Nigeria could hardly be conducted successfully without the corps members.

“You provide the heartbeat of our field operations,” the INEC chairman said. “When we speak of election manpower, we are essentially speaking of corps members. They are the most dedicated, educated and patriotic election duty staff we have.”

According to him, corps members have remained central to virtually every election cycle since 1999, serving as Registration Area Officers, Presiding Officers and other key election personnel across the country.

Providing figures for the forthcoming polls, 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 Houses of Assembly elections slated for February 6, 2027.

The commission also disclosed that an additional 52,446 corps members would be mobilised for off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.

Reflecting on previous elections, the INEC chairman said over 70 per cent of the 1.2 million ad hoc personnel deployed during the 2023 general election were corps members and student volunteers, amounting to nearly 850,000 individuals.
He praised the corps members for safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process in more than 176,000 polling units nationwide, including in difficult and remote terrains.

Amupitan also highlighted the role of corps members in operating the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System during recent elections, describing them as the “tech-savvy backbone” of Nigeria’s modern democracy.

The INEC boss acknowledged the risks associated with election duties and assured that the commission was strengthening security, insurance and welfare arrangements to better protect corps members during election assignments.

“As the 2027 elections approach, we are committed to working closely with the NYSC to ensure proper training and full mobilisation of all ad hoc staff required for credible polls,” he said.

Responding, NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle O. Nafiu, reaffirmed the scheme’s commitment to supporting INEC, noting that corps members remain credible, reliable and easily trainable manpower for national assignments.
Nafiu added that the emergence of more digitally inclined Gen Z corps members would further strengthen the conduct of future elections, particularly in the area of election technology and digital operations.

He pledged the continued support of the NYSC for both the 2027 general elections and upcoming off-cycle polls across the country.