By Halima Abubakar
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it would require more than 1.4 million National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to successfully conduct the 2027 general elections across the country.
INEC Chairman, Professor 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.
Amupitan described corps members as the backbone of the commission’s field operations, noting that INEC could not effectively conduct elections without their support.
According to him, corps members remain the most reliable, educated and neutral ad hoc personnel available to the commission, adding that their participation strengthens public confidence in the electoral process.
He revealed that INEC would require 707,384 corps members for the Presidential and National Assembly elections slated for January 16, 2027, and another 707,384 for the Governorship and State Assembly polls scheduled for February 6, 2027.
The figure brings the total number of corps members needed for the two major elections to 1,414,768.
Amupitan added that an extra 52,446 corps members would also be deployed for governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.
He noted that the projected deployment represents a significant increase from the 2023 general elections, during which INEC engaged about 1.2 million ad hoc staff, with over 70 per cent sourced from the NYSC and student volunteers.
According to the INEC chairman, corps members made up nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers in several states during the 2023 elections.
He commended the contributions of the young Nigerians, saying they played a key role in safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process across 176,846 polling units nationwide, including difficult terrains.
Amupitan also assured that the commission was working to improve insurance and welfare packages for corps members involved in election duties.
He further disclosed that preparations were already underway for the off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, scheduled for June 20 and August 16 respectively, describing the polls as important tests ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Responding, NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Nafiu reaffirmed the scheme’s commitment to supporting INEC, recalling that both organisations signed a memorandum of understanding in 2011 which has been renewed periodically.
He described corps members as credible, dependable and easy to train, adding that the incoming Generation Z corps members, known for their digital skills, would further enhance INEC’s technology-driven electoral processes.
Nafiu pledged the continued support of the NYSC for both the 2027 general elections and upcoming off-cycle polls.
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