ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will mobilise approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide for the 2027 general elections, Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan has announced, while reaffirming the commission’s commitment to delivering a free, fair, credible and non-partisan process.
Amupitan made the disclosure on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, while receiving a Pre-Election Assessment Mission delegation of the International Republican Institute (IRI) at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The IRI team, led by former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Ambassador Jendayi Frazer, is in Nigeria from August 11 to 21 to assess preparations for the polls.
“In 2027, INEC will deploy a workforce of approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 Polling Units nationwide,” Amupitan said. He described the scale of the operation as reflecting the enormous logistical demands of the elections, which are expected to involve more than 100 million registered voters.
The chairman reported that preparations are advancing with precision. The commission is implementing a comprehensive operational roadmap that includes Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), a full audit of the voters’ register using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to detect and remove duplicate records, early deployment frameworks, and strengthened partnerships with transport unions to ensure timely arrival of materials and personnel at polling units.
Amupitan highlighted the performance of electoral technology in recent off-cycle elections, including the Ekiti and Osun governorship polls, which served as live operational tests. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal recorded upload rates exceeding 98 per cent. “Technology has permanently closed the door on legacy voting vulnerabilities, ensuring that the ballot box alone determines electoral outcomes,” he stated.
He also outlined measures to enhance inclusivity, including improved physical access to polling units and specialised assistive devices for persons with disabilities, pregnant women, nursing mothers and elderly voters.
Acknowledging persistent challenges, Amupitan listed security threats, electoral violence, vote-buying, hate speech, disinformation and foreign information manipulation as major risks.
He said INEC is collaborating with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to address these issues and enforce electoral laws.
Later the same day, at the signing of the First National Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns organised by the National Peace Committee, Amupitan underscored the commission’s strict neutrality.
“Let me state unequivocally that INEC has no interest in who wins or loses any election. The Commission does not have a candidate, nor does it favour any political platform. Our only interest is a lawful, transparent, credible, and inclusive process,” he said. He added: “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.”
Amupitan urged political parties and candidates to prioritise issue-based campaigns focused on economic growth, security, infrastructure, healthcare, education and social inclusion rather than personal attacks or inflammatory rhetoric. “Let the 2027 election campaign be a marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war,” he said. “Nigerians do not want insults; they want solutions.”
The IRI mission’s visit comes as official public campaigns for the 2027 elections are set to begin. Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, with governorship and state assembly polls on February 6, 2027.
Amupitan assured the international observers of the commission’s full transparency and cooperation, describing such partnerships as valuable for strengthening Nigeria’s electoral process.
The planned deployment of 1.4 million ad-hoc staff—largely drawn from National Youth Service Corps members and other temporary personnel—represents one of the largest logistical mobilisations in the country’s electoral history and forms a central pillar of INEC’s preparations under Amupitan’s leadership.
About the Author
