The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it plans to deploy about 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide for the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan disclosed this on Tuesday when he received a delegation from the International Republican Institute (IRI), led by its president, Dan Twining, in Abuja.
The IRI delegation, which is in Nigeria from August 11 to 21, is assessing INEC’s preparedness for the 2027 elections and exploring areas where international technical support could strengthen the electoral process.
Amupitan said the commission was strengthening its logistics, expanding early deployment strategies and improving coordination with transport unions to ensure the timely movement of election materials and personnel.
He said recent off-cycle elections and legislative by-elections had provided opportunities to test INEC’s electoral technology, logistics and security arrangements.
According to him, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal have maintained high operational reliability, with result-upload rates exceeding 98 percent in recent elections.
The INEC chairman also said the commission was implementing reforms to improve voter registration through online registration, continuous updates to the voters’ register and measures to ensure greater accuracy of voter records.
He added that INEC would expand measures to make voting more accessible to persons with disabilities, pregnant women, nursing mothers and elderly voters.
Amupitan identified misinformation, disinformation and the misuse of artificial intelligence as emerging threats to electoral integrity ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said INEC had established an AI-focused unit to develop protocols for responsible technology use and counter false information capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
Amupitan reiterated that INEC would remain neutral and have no preference for any political party or candidate, stressing that its responsibility was to conduct elections that reflect the will of Nigerians.
He also acknowledged the need to improve voter turnout in future elections.
Twining said the IRI mission was focused on supporting a competitive, peaceful and credible electoral process in Nigeria.
He said the delegation would assess INEC’s preparations, identify potential challenges and explore ways the international community could support Nigeria’s democratic process.
“We know how committed Nigerians are to exercising their democratic rights,” Twining said.
“Our interest is a competitive, peaceful and credible election in Nigeria, and we look forward to learning how we can support that objective.”