2027: INEC seeks deployment of 1.4 million corps members for elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said it cannot successfully conduct elections in Nigeria without the support of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, revealing plans to deploy more than 1.4 million corps members for the 2027 general elections.

 

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday during a courtesy visit to the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, at the scheme’s headquarters in Abuja.

 

According to Amupitan, corps members remain the backbone of the commission’s field operations during elections.

 

“You provide the heartbeat of our field operations. When we speak of election manpower, we are essentially speaking of your corps members,” he said.

 

“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.”

 

The INEC chairman explained that 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 fixed for February 6, 2027.

 

This brings the total projected deployment for the general elections to 1,414,768 corps members.

 

He added that an extra 52,446 corps members would also be needed for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections as well as pending bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.

 

The projected figure represents a major increase compared to the 2023 elections, during which INEC deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc staff, with more than 70 per cent sourced from NYSC members and student volunteers.

 

Amupitan noted that corps members served in critical election roles across the country during the last polls.

 

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

 

He also acknowledged concerns about the safety and welfare of corps members during elections, assuring that the commission was improving insurance and welfare arrangements for election personnel.

 

Beyond the 2027 elections, the INEC chairman said the commission was also preparing for the Ekiti and Osun off-cycle governorship elections scheduled for June 20 and August 16 respectively.

 

Responding, NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Nafiu reaffirmed the scheme’s commitment to supporting the electoral process.

 

He recalled that the partnership agreement between NYSC and INEC was formalised in 2011 and has continued to be renewed over the years.

 

Nafiu described corps members as reliable and adaptable, adding that the transition from millennial corps members to Gen Z participants would further strengthen INEC’s technology-driven election system.

 

“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,” he said.

 

He pledged the NYSC’s full support for both the 2027 general elections and upcoming off-cycle polls.