2027 Elections: INEC to Deploy 1.4m Ad Hoc Staff Across 176,000 Polling Units – Amupitan
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will deploy approximately 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide for the 2027 general elections.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday during a meeting with the International Republican Institute’s Pre-Election Assessment Mission delegation, led by former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Jendayi Frazier, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Amupitan said the scale of the deployment underscored the enormous logistical requirements involved in conducting the 2027 elections.
“In 2027, INEC will deploy a workforce of approximately 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide,” he said.
The chairman said the commission had commenced implementation of an operational roadmap for the elections, including Continuous Voter Registration and a comprehensive audit of the national voter register.
He explained that INEC would deploy its Automated Biometric Identification System to detect and eliminate duplicate voter records and ensure the integrity and accuracy of the register.
Amupitan also said the commission was strengthening its logistics operations through early deployment frameworks and partnerships with transport unions to facilitate the timely opening of polling units on election day.
According to him, INEC is equally working to improve accessibility at polling units and provide specialised assistive devices for persons with disabilities, pregnant women, nursing mothers and elderly voters.
The INEC chairman said the commission’s recent off-cycle elections had provided an opportunity to test its technological systems, logistics and security arrangements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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He noted that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the electronic transmission and display of polling-unit result sheets through the INEC Result Viewing Portal had achieved upload rates of more than 98 per cent in recent off-cycle elections.
“Technology has permanently closed the door on legacy voting vulnerabilities, ensuring that the ballot box alone determines electoral outcomes,” Amupitan said.
However, he acknowledged that security threats, electoral violence, vote-buying, hate speech, disinformation and foreign information manipulation remained significant challenges to Nigeria’s electoral process.
He said INEC was collaborating with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, to address the threats.
Amupitan further disclosed that INEC would participate later on Tuesday in the signing of the First National Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns by presidential candidates under the auspices of the National Peace Committee.
He described the visit by the IRI delegation as timely, particularly as public campaigns for the 2027 general elections are scheduled to commence on Wednesday.
The IRI Pre-Election Assessment Mission, which began its engagement in Nigeria on August 11, is expected to conclude its activities on August 21.
Amupitan said INEC welcomed international election observation missions as institutional partners whose assessments and recommendations could contribute to strengthening the country’s electoral process.
He assured the delegation of the commission’s transparency and full cooperation as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
“Our sole mandate is to serve as an uncompromising, impartial umpire dedicated to delivering a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive election that reflects the sovereign will of the Nigerian people,” he said.
By PRNigeria
