Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), says it will mobilise more than one million, four hundred thousand members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle O. Nafiu, at the NYSC headquarters in Abuja.
Professor Amupitan described the partnership between INEC and the NYSC as critical to Nigeria’s democratic process, noting that corps members remain the backbone of election field operations across the country.
He said the Commission could not successfully conduct elections without the support of corps members, whom he described as dedicated, educated and patriotic ad hoc staff.
According to him, INEC deployed about one million, two hundred thousand ad hoc personnel during the 2023 general elections, with nearly eight hundred and fifty thousand drawn from the NYSC and student volunteers.
For the 2027 elections, the INEC chairman said over seven hundred and seven thousand corps members would be deployed for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 17, 2027, while another seven hundred and seven thousand would participate in the Governorship and State Assembly elections billed for February 16.
He added that more than fifty-two thousand corps members would also be engaged for off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.
Professor Amupitan noted that corps members played key roles in protecting the integrity of the ballot in over one hundred and seventy-six thousand polling units nationwide, including difficult terrains.
The INEC chairman also praised the digital competence of corps members, especially in the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, during recent elections in Anambra State and the Federal Capital Territory.
He assured that INEC would continue to strengthen security, welfare and insurance packages for corps members participating in election duties.
Responding, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, reaffirmed the Scheme’s commitment to supporting INEC in future elections.
He described corps members as credible, reliable and digitally savvy, adding that the incoming generation of corps members would further enhance election administration in the country.