The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to mobilise more than 1.4 million corps members for the conduct of the 2027 general elections across Nigeria.
The disclosure was made during a strategic courtesy visit to the headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Abuja, led by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, alongside National Commissioners and senior officials of the electoral body.
The delegation was received by the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, and top management of the scheme at the Yakubu Gowon House.
Prof. Amupitan described corps members as a central pillar of Nigeria’s electoral process, noting that their involvement has remained consistent since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
He stated that INEC is projecting the deployment of 707,384 corps members for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and an additional 707,384 for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections fixed for February 6, 2027.
According to him, the commission also anticipates additional deployment for off-cycle governorship elections in states such as Ekiti and Osun, as well as bye-elections across several constituencies including Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi, and Kano.
The INEC chairman noted that corps members accounted for a significant proportion of election duty personnel in previous polls, including presiding officers and registration area officers, playing a key role in election administration at polling units nationwide.
He praised their performance in the 2023 general elections, where over 70 percent of ad hoc staff were drawn from the NYSC and student volunteers, describing them as disciplined, neutral, and increasingly competent in the use of election technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Prof. Amupitan also acknowledged the risks associated with election duties and assured that INEC is working to strengthen welfare packages, insurance coverage, and security arrangements for corps members deployed for electoral assignments.
The meeting is part of early preparations by the electoral commission to ensure smooth operations and credible outcomes in the 2027 general elections.
