The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed plans to deploy approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide for the 2027 general election.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this while welcoming the delegation of Pre-Election Assessment Mission (PEAM) of the International Republican Institute (IRI) led by the Institute’s President, Ambassador Dr. Dan Twining on Tuesday.

Amupitan said the Commission’s operational roadmap ahead of 2027 included a continuous voter registration and register audit exercise, using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to eliminate duplicate records, including expanded logistics arrangements with transport unions aimed at guaranteeing punctual 8:30 a.m. openings at polling locations nationwide.

He said the Commission was also enhancing polling unit access and assistive devices for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), pregnant women, nursing mothers and elderly voters.

The Chairman noted that the visit coincided with a pivotal point in the electoral calendar, coming three days after the Osun state off-cycle governorship election and a day ahead of the official commencement of campaigns and rallies for the 2027 general election on Wednesday.

He said recent off-cycle elections, including those of Ekiti and Osun, alongside several legislative bye-elections, had served as operational stress tests for the Commission’s technology, logistics and security coordination, noting that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal had recorded upload rates above 98 per cent in recent contests.

Prof. Amupitan identified insecurity, localised electoral violence, vote-buying, hate speech, disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) as key threats to voter confidence.

He added that the Commission worked with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and anti-graft agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to enforce electoral laws and prosecute offenders.

The Chairman described international observation missions as institutional partners rather than critics, and assured the delegation of the Commission’s transparency and cooperation ahead of the IRI’s International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) for 2027.

He also reiterated that INEC had no preference for any political party or candidate, stating that the Commission’s mandate remained the delivery of a free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive election reflecting the will of the Nigerian people.

Earlier, Dr. Twining commended the Commission for the successful conduct of the 2026 Osun state governorship election and praised Nigerians for their continued commitment to democracy.

“We know from our history of working here how committed Nigerians are to exercising their democratic rights. We saw and witnessed it. Very vigorous people here are really determined to make every vote count,” he noted.

He added that the international community was keen to support Nigeria’s preparations, noting, “We are here to hear from you how you’re planning before the elections, your outlook, your forecast, some of your concerns and anything that we, as the international community, can do to support a peaceful, credible and democratic election.”