The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has said the commission will deploy over 1.4 million ad hoc staff, largely members of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for the 2027 general elections.

Mr Amupitan disclosed this during a strategic courtesy visit by an INEC delegation to the headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps in Abuja.

The delegation was led by the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, and members of the scheme’s senior management team at the Yakubu Gowon House.

While providing insights into preparations for the 2027 polls, he disclosed that INEC would require 707,384 corps members for the Presidential and National Assembly election scheduled for January 16, 2027, and another 707,384 for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections fixed for February 6, 2027.

During the visit, the INEC chairman described the meeting as a mission of profound gratitude to the NYSC, noting that corps members have remained central to election operations in Nigeria since 1999.

“Corps members have consistently served as presiding officers and registration area officers across polling units nationwide.

“The 2023 general election saw INEC deploy about 1.2 million ad hoc staff, with over 70 per cent nearly 850,000 personnel made up of corps members and student volunteers,” he said.

He added that more personnels would be needed for off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi, and Kano states.

Mr Amupitan commended corps members for their patriotism, discipline, neutrality, and digital competence, particularly in operating the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

“In many states, corps members accounted for nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers. They protected the sanctity of the ballot across 176,846 polling units nationwide,” he said.

Mr Amupitan acknowledged the risks associated with election duties and assured the NYSC leadership that the commission would strengthen insurance, welfare and security arrangements for corps members deployed for elections.