The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced plans to deploy no fewer than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps and other ad hoc personnel for the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday during a courtesy visit to the NYSC Director-General, Olakunle Nafiu, at the Yakubu Gowon House in Abuja.

In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC chairman, Adedayo Oketola, Amupitan described the visit as both a formal engagement and an expression of appreciation for the NYSC’s longstanding support in Nigeria’s electoral process.

According to him, corps members have remained central to election operations in the country since 1999.

“INEC cannot conduct elections in Nigeria without the NYSC,” he said, noting that corps members provide the bulk of the commission’s election manpower.

He described them as dedicated, educated, and patriotic personnel whose participation at polling units strengthens neutrality and public confidence in elections.

Amupitan explained that during the 2023 general elections, INEC deployed approximately 1.2 million ad hoc staff, with more than 70 per cent — nearly 850,000 personnel — drawn from corps members and student volunteers.

Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, he revealed that the commission would require 707,384 ad hoc personnel for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.

The same number would also be needed for the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections set for February 6, bringing the total number of ad hoc staff required to 1,414,768.

He added that an additional 52,446 corps members would be needed for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, as well as upcoming by-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi, and Kano states.

According to the INEC chairman, corps members accounted for nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers in many states during previous elections.

“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.

Amupitan also commended corps members for their contributions during off-cycle elections, including the Anambra governorship election and the Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls.

He noted that their digital skills played a major role in the successful deployment and operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.

According to him, the technology proficiency of corps members has made them an important part of Nigeria’s evolving electoral system.

The INEC chairman acknowledged the risks and sacrifices involved in election duties and assured that the commission would continue collaborating with the NYSC and security agencies to improve the welfare and safety of corps members during elections.

He further stated that the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections scheduled for June 20 and August 15, respectively, alongside several pending by-elections, would serve as preparatory grounds for innovations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Responding, Brigadier General Nafiu thanked INEC for sustaining its partnership with the NYSC.

He recalled that the Memorandum of Understanding between both institutions was first signed in 2011 and has since been renewed periodically.

Nafiu described corps members as reliable, credible, and easily trainable manpower for election assignments.

He also noted that the outgoing generation of millennials in the scheme would soon be replaced by Gen Z corps members, whom he described as highly digitally savvy and well-suited for modern electoral processes.

The NYSC boss assured INEC of the scheme’s continued support for both the 2027 general elections and upcoming off-cycle polls.