2027 ELECTIONS: INEC TARGETS 1.4 MILLION AD-HOC PERSONNEL, 176,000 POLLING UNITS
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By: Fasasi Hammad
As political activities intensify nationwide, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is expanding its operational capacity to deploy about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units for the 2027 General Elections.
The Commission also disclosed that it is deploying the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) under the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise to detect duplicate registrations and maintain a clean and verified National Register of Voters.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Tuesday when he received the Pre-Election Assessment Mission (PEAM) delegation of the International Republican Institute (IRI), led by former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Jendayi Frazier, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Amupitan identified security threats, localized electoral violence, vote-buying, hate speech, disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) as major challenges capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
The visit came three days after the Osun State off-cycle governorship election and a day before the statutory commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the 2027 General Elections on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
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According to the INEC Chairman, the assessment mission provides an independent perspective as the Commission moves into full-scale preparations for the national elections.
He explained that recent off-cycle governorship elections and legislative by-elections have served as operational tests for INEC’s logistics, security coordination and technological systems.
Amupitan said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which provides dual biometric verification, alongside the real-time publication of polling unit results through the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, has continued to demonstrate strong reliability, with recent off-cycle elections recording upload rates above 98 per cent.
He stressed that the increased use of technology has significantly addressed longstanding vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s electoral process, strengthening the ability of the ballot to determine electoral outcomes.
Outlining INEC’s operational priorities, Amupitan said the Commission is focusing on voter register audits, early deployment arrangements with transport unions to ensure polling units open by 8:30 a.m., and improved assistive facilities for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), pregnant women and elderly voters.
On security and financial risks, he said INEC is working with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), as well as anti-graft agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
He said the collaboration is aimed at enforcing campaign finance regulations, monitoring electoral offences and ensuring that offenders are prosecuted.
Amupitan also disclosed that the Commission would later join presidential candidates in signing the National Peace Committee’s Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns, designed to promote civility and responsible political engagement.
Reaffirming INEC’s neutrality, the Chairman assured the international delegation of the Commission’s commitment to transparency and cooperation throughout the electoral process.
He maintained that INEC’s mandate remains to conduct free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive elections that reflect the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.
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