The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has disclosed plans to deploy more than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, as ad hoc personnel for the 2027 general election.
Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure on Monday during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the NYSC, Olakunle O. Nafiu, at the Yakubu Gowon House, headquarters of the scheme in Abuja.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman Mr Adedayo Oketola, said Amupitan described the meeting with the NYSC management as more than a formal visit.
He noted that it was a mission of gratitude to an institution he described as indispensable to the conduct of elections in Nigeria.
“In the complex architecture of Nigeria’s democracy, there is no pillar more vital than the NYSC,” he said, adding that corps members have participated in virtually every election cycle since 1999.
“I dare say that INEC cannot conduct elections in Nigeria without the NYSC,” the chairman stated.
He praised corps members for their commitment and neutrality, describing them as the “heartbeat” of INEC’s field operations.
“You provide the heartbeat of our field operations. When we speak of election manpower, we are essentially speaking of your corps members.
“They are the most dedicated, educated and patriotic election duty staff we have, and their presence at the polling units brings a level of neutrality and public confidence that is irreplaceable,” he said.
While oroviding figures from previous elections, Amupitan revealed that INEC deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc staff during the 2023 general election, with over 70 per cent, nearly 850,000 personnel, drawn from NYSC members and student volunteers.
For the 2027 polls, he said the commission 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.
He noted that this brings the total projected deployment to 1,414,768 corps members.
He added that an additional 52,446 corps members would be needed for the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.
Amupitan said corps members constituted nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers in many states during previous elections, noting that they played a key role in safeguarding the integrity of the ballot across 176,846 polling units nationwide.
He also commended their contribution to off-cycle elections, particularly in Anambra State and the Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls, where their digital competence ensured the effective deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS.
“In those exercises, it was the digital proficiency of your corps members that ensured the seamless performance of our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), proving they are the tech-savvy backbone of our modern democracy,” he said.
The INEC chairman acknowledged the risks corps members face during election duties and assured that the commission was working with security agencies and the NYSC to strengthen safety measures and improve welfare and insurance packages for personnel deployed during elections.
“As the 2027 general election approaches, full mobilisation and preparedness of NYSC members will be critical,” he added, while formally requesting the continued support of the scheme.
Responding, Nafiu thanked INEC for sustaining its collaboration with the NYSC, recalling that the Memorandum of Understanding between both organisations was first finalised in 2011 and had since been periodically renewed.
He described corps members as credible, dependable and easily trainable manpower for election duties.
“The last batch of millennials will exit the corps soon, leaving behind Gen Z corps members, known for their digital savviness, which would benefit INEC,” the NYSC Director-General said.
Nafiu assured the electoral commission of the scheme’s readiness to support not only the 2027 general election but also upcoming off-cycle governorship elections and bye-elections across the country.
