The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has reaffirmed the vital role of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Nigeria’s electoral process, disclosing that the commission plans to mobilise more than 1.4 million ad hoc staff for the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan made the disclosure during a strategic courtesy visit to the NYSC headquarters in Abuja, where he led a high-powered delegation comprising National Commissioners, the Secretary to the Commission, directors, and senior aides.
According to a statement issued by INEC on Monday, the delegation was received by the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, alongside members of the scheme’s management team at the Yakubu Gowon House.
Describing the engagement as more than a routine visit, the INEC chairman said it was “a mission of profound gratitude” to an institution he described as central to the success of elections in Nigeria.
He noted that since 1999, corps members have consistently formed the backbone of INEC’s election workforce, serving in key roles such as presiding officers and registration area officers across polling units nationwide.
Amupitan revealed that INEC deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc staff during the 2023 general elections, with corps members and student volunteers accounting for over 70 per cent — nearly 850,000 personnel.
Giving insight into preparations for the 2027 polls, he disclosed 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.
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 patriotism, discipline, neutrality, and digital skills, especially in operating the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
“In many states, corps members accounted for nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers. They protected the sanctity of the ballot across 176,846 polling units nationwide,” he said.
Amupitan also acknowledged the risks associated with election duties and assured the NYSC leadership that INEC was working to strengthen welfare, insurance, and security arrangements for corps members deployed during elections.
In his response, NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu praised the long-standing partnership between both institutions, describing corps members as “credible, reliable, patriotic, and easily trainable manpower.”
He reaffirmed the scheme’s commitment to supporting INEC in delivering free, fair, and credible elections across the country.
“The last batch of millennials will soon exit the scheme, leaving behind a generation of digitally savvy Gen Z corps members whose ICT proficiency will greatly support modern electoral operations,” Nafiu said.
The NYSC DG also appealed for improved welfare packages, compensation, and insurance coverage for corps members participating in election duties, stressing that adequate support would boost morale and encourage continued national service.
He assured INEC of the scheme’s readiness to fully mobilise corps members and administrative staff for the 2027 elections, reiterating the NYSC’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process.
