The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it plans to deploy more than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for the 2027 general elections, underlining the central role played by young graduates in the administration of the country’s democratic process.
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, disclosed the figure on Monday during a visit to the headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, Adedayo Oketola, the meeting with the NYSC leadership was intended not only as a formal engagement but also as an expression of gratitude for the corps’ longstanding support during elections.
Amupitan described the NYSC as indispensable to Nigeria’s electoral system, saying the commission could not effectively conduct elections without the scheme’s participation.
“When we speak of election manpower, we are essentially speaking of corps members,” he said.
“They are the most dedicated, educated and patriotic election duty staff we have, and their presence at polling units brings a level of neutrality and public confidence that is irreplaceable.”
The INEC chairman said institutional data from the 2023 elections illustrated the extent of the reliance on corps members and student volunteers.
According to him, the commission engaged approximately 1.2 million ad hoc personnel during the last general election, with more than 70% — roughly 850,000 workers — drawn from the NYSC and tertiary institutions.
For the 2027 elections, Amupitan said INEC would require 707,384 ad hoc staff for the presidential and national assembly polls scheduled for 16 January 2027, with the same number needed for the governorship and state assembly elections due on 6 February.
Combined, the figure amounts to 1,414,768 temporary election personnel.
The commission also expects to recruit more than 52,000 corps members for governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, alongside several pending by-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano.
Amupitan said corps members had become critical to election administration, accounting for nearly 90% of registration area officers and presiding officers in some states during previous polls.
“These young Nigerians did not just facilitate voting; they protected the sanctity of the ballot in 176,846 polling units across some of the most difficult terrains in the country,” he said.
The INEC chairman also credited corps members with improving the operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System during recent off-cycle elections, including the Anambra governorship poll and local government elections in the federal capital.
“In those exercises, it was the digital proficiency of corps members that ensured the seamless performance of our BVAS, proving they are the tech-savvy backbone of our modern democracy,” he said.
The announcement comes as preparations intensify for the 2027 elections, which are expected to test both the commission’s logistical capacity and the country’s fragile security architecture.
Election deployments have frequently exposed corps members to risks including violence, attacks on polling centres and difficult travel conditions, prompting repeated calls for stronger protection measures.
Amupitan acknowledged the sacrifices made by corps members during election periods and said the commission would continue working with security agencies and the NYSC to strengthen welfare and safety arrangements.
“As the 2027 general election approaches, we are committed to ensuring adequate mobilisation and preparedness of NYSC members for this important national assignment,” he said.
Responding, the NYSC director general, Olakunle Nafiu, reaffirmed the scheme’s commitment to supporting the electoral process.
He noted that the partnership between INEC and the NYSC dates back to a memorandum of understanding signed in 2011 and renewed periodically since then.
Nafiu described corps members as disciplined and adaptable manpower, adding that the emergence of a younger, digitally oriented generation of graduates could further benefit election administration.
“The last batch of millennials will soon exit the scheme, leaving behind Gen Z corps members known for their digital savviness,” he said.
