By Jane Okafor, Abeokuta
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that it cannot successfully conduct elections in Nigeria without the support of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, requesting the deployment of more than 1.4 million corps members for the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, made the announcement on Monday during a courtesy visit to the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, at the NYSC headquarters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, corps members remain the backbone of the commission’s field operations due to their neutrality, dedication, and reliability during elections.
“When we talk about election manpower, we are largely referring to corps members. They are among the most committed and educated personnel we engage, and their presence boosts public confidence in the electoral process,” he said.
INEC disclosed that 707,384 corps members would be needed for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, while another 707,384 would be deployed for the Governorship and State Assembly elections on February 6, 2027. This brings the total number required for both exercises to 1,414,768.
The commission also projected an additional 52,446 corps members 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 planned deployment marks a significant increase from the 2023 elections, where about 1.2 million ad hoc officials were used, with nearly 850,000 drawn from NYSC members and student volunteers.
Amupitan noted that corps members served as almost 90 per cent of registration area officers and presiding officers in several states during the 2023 elections.
He praised their contribution, saying they played a critical role in safeguarding the credibility of voting across 176,846 polling units nationwide, including difficult and remote locations.
The INEC chairman also acknowledged the risks involved in election duties and assured that the commission was improving insurance and welfare packages for corps members participating in electoral assignments.
Looking ahead, he said the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections scheduled for June 20 and August 16 would serve as testing grounds for new innovations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Responding, NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Nafiu reaffirmed the scheme’s commitment to supporting INEC. He noted that the partnership between both institutions, established through a memorandum of understanding in 2011, had continued to strengthen over the years.
Nafiu added that the incoming generation of corps members — mainly Gen Z graduates — would enhance INEC’s technology-driven electoral processes because of their digital skills.
“The last batch of millennials will soon leave the scheme, making way for Gen Z corps members whose digital proficiency will further support INEC’s accreditation systems,” he said.
He assured the commission of NYSC’s full cooperation for both the 2027 general election and upcoming off-cycle polls.
