INEC Deploys 1.4m Ad-Hoc Personnel for 2027 Elections, Vows Credible Poll

By Harriet Tornguvan 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will deploy approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide for the 2027 General Election.

INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja when he received a Pre-Election Assessment Mission (PEAM) delegation of the International Republican Institute (IRI), led by former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and former US Ambassador to South Africa, Ambassador Dr Jendayi Frazier.

Amupitan said the visit, scheduled for August 11 to 21, was timely, coming shortly after the Osun State governorship election and a day before the statutory commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the 2027 elections.

He described the IRI as a dependable global partner in strengthening democratic institutions and promoting electoral integrity, assuring the delegation of INEC’s transparency and full cooperation ahead of the 2027 polls.

The INEC chairman said recent off-cycle elections, including the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states and legislative by-elections, had served as operational tests for the Commission’s technology, logistics and security coordination systems.

According to him, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the real-time uploading of polling unit results through the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal have continued to demonstrate high levels of reliability, with upload rates exceeding 98 per cent in recent off-cycle elections.

He said the Commission was strengthening its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and voter register audit through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to eliminate duplicate registrations and maintain an accurate voters’ register.

Amupitan also said INEC was expanding early deployment of election materials and deepening partnerships with transport unions to ensure the timely opening of polling units, while measures were being implemented to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities, pregnant women, nursing mothers and elderly voters.

However, he acknowledged that the 2027 elections would face significant challenges, including insecurity, electoral violence, vote-buying, hate speech, disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference.

He said INEC was working with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), as well as anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to enforce electoral laws and address campaign finance violations and electoral offences.

The chairman further disclosed that INEC would participate alongside presidential candidates in the signing of the First National Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns organised by the National Peace Committee.

Amupitan stressed that the Commission remained politically neutral and had no preference for any political party or candidate.

“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.

He added that INEC regarded international election observation missions as institutional partners whose assessments and recommendations could help the Commission identify operational gaps, strengthen its strategies and build public confidence in the electoral process.

The chairman assured the IRI delegation of INEC’s open-door policy and cooperation during its assessment mission and ahead of the International Election Observation Mission for the 2027 General Election.