RismadarVoice Reporters
May 11, 2026
The Independent National Electoral Commission has requested the deployment of more than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps for the conduct of the 2027 general elections across the country.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, requested on Monday during a courtesy visit to the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, at the scheme’s headquarters in Abuja.
Amupitan said the electoral body relies heavily on corps members for election duties, describing them as dedicated, educated, and neutral personnel who help strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.
According to him, 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 fixed for February 6, 2027.
He added that an extra 52,446 corps members would also be required for off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as pending bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi, and Kano states.
The INEC chairman noted that corps members played a major role during the 2023 elections, accounting for a significant percentage of registration area officers and presiding officers nationwide.
He commended their contribution to the conduct of elections across 176,846 polling units, including difficult terrains, while assuring that the commission was improving welfare and insurance packages for election personnel.
Amupitan further described the upcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun as important tests for innovations ahead of the 2027 polls.
Responding, NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Nafiu reaffirmed the scheme’s commitment to supporting INEC, noting that the partnership between both organisations has remained strong since the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 2011.
He also expressed confidence that the incoming generation of corps members, particularly Gen Z graduates known for their digital skills, would enhance INEC’s technology-driven electoral processes.
Nafiu pledged the full cooperation of the NYSC in ensuring the successful conduct of both the 2027 general elections and other off-cycle polls across the country.
