By Sulyman Gobir
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the recruitment of about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
The temporary election officials are expected to be deployed to more than 176,000 polling units across the country for the two phases of the elections.
The Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
In a public notice issued on Thursday, the commission announced that its online recruitment platform, the INEC Portal for Recruitment of Election Staff (INECPRES), opened at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 18, 2026.
According to INEC, the recruitment portal will remain open until midnight on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.
Ad hoc personnel are temporary election officials recruited and trained by INEC to perform specific duties during elections. Their engagement terminates upon the completion of the electoral process.
The commission said eligibility for the various positions would depend on the specific role being sought, as well as the applicant’s educational qualification, institution, employment status and other requirements applicable to each category.
Those eligible to apply include serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, former NYSC members who meet the stipulated conditions, students of Federal and State tertiary institutions, eligible Federal and State government employees, permanent staff of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), qualified INEC personnel, eligible ICT personnel and staff of institutions designated to host Registration Area Centres (RACs).
INEC advised prospective applicants to carefully study the eligibility requirements for their preferred positions before submitting their applications.
