The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced plans to deploy over 1.4 million ad hoc workers for the 2027 general election.
The announcement coincided with the arrival of a delegation from the International Republican Institute (IRI), led by its president Dan Twining, in Abuja on Tuesday for a pre-election assessment mission.
Scheduled to remain in Nigeria from August 11 to 21, the IRI team is reviewing INEC’s operational readiness ahead of the 2027 polls and identifying key areas where technical support and international collaboration can strengthen the electoral process.
During the meeting, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, noted that personnel will be deployed to over 176,000 polling units nationwide.
Amupitan explained that the commission is strengthening its logistics framework, expanding early deployment strategies, and deepening collaboration with transport unions to ensure the prompt movement of electoral officials and sensitive materials.
He added that the International Republican Institute (IRI) mission was timely, occurring shortly after the Osun gubernatorial election and ahead of the official launch of the 2027 general election campaigns.
Amupitan noted that recent off-cycle governorship polls and legislative by-elections served as critical testing grounds for evaluating the commission’s logistical operations, security frameworks, and technological infrastructure.
He also highlighted that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal demonstrated consistent reliability, achieving result transmission rates above 98 percent during recent electoral exercises.
Additionally, Amupitan outlined ongoing administrative reforms designed to refine the continuous voter registration process, strengthen the accuracy of the voter roll, and integrate digital registration tools.
He further affirmed that the commission is expanding measures to improve accessibility and voting conditions for persons with disabilities, elderly citizens, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
Backstory…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is intensifying preparations for the 2027 general election, with the commission already putting several key components of the electoral process in place.
INEC has released its official timetable and schedule of activities, while also fixing January 16, 2027 for the presidential and National Assembly elections and February 6, 2027 for the governorship and State Assembly polls.
According to the chairman, INEC previously set up an AI-focused section to create guidelines for responsible technology use and combat misinformation that can erode public trust in elections.
Read Also: INEC Chair Promises Every Vote Will Count
