The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the recruitment of ad hoc personnel for the 2027 general elections, opening its online application process to eligible Nigerians across the country.

The recruitment exercise is expected to provide the temporary workforce required to support the conduct of the elections, with INEC planning to deploy more than 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across over 176,000 polling units nationwide.

The 2027 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, according to INEC's published election schedule.

According to the recruitment notice, the INEC Portal for Recruitment of Election Staff (INECPRES) opened at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 18, 2026, and is scheduled to close at midnight on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.

The recruitment covers several categories of election personnel, including Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs), Presiding Officers (POs), Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs), Registration Area Centre (RAC) Managers and Registration Area Technical Support (RATECH) personnel.

Who Can Apply?

Eligibility depends on the position being sought, educational background, employment status and the applicant's institution.

Categories of potential applicants include:

- Serving members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC);

- Eligible former NYSC members;

- 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

- Personnel attached to institutions designated to host Registration Area Centres.

INEC advises applicants to carefully review the eligibility requirements for their preferred position before commencing the application.

Requirements for Supervisory Presiding Officers

The SPO category is open to eligible personnel from the Federal Public/Civil Service and Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Public-sector employees within Grade Level 10 to 14 may qualify, subject to the conditions prescribed by INEC.

Serving NYSC members are also included among potential applicants, while former corps members may qualify where they meet the applicable conditions.

The recruitment guidelines identify former corps members who completed their service in 2024, 2025 or 2026 among the categories that may qualify, subject to the stated requirements.

Requirements for Presiding and Assistant Presiding Officers

The PO and APO categories include eligible students of Federal and State tertiary institutions as well as certain government employees.

The eligibility requirements vary according to the applicant's educational level and employment status, with different salary-grade requirements applying to some categories.

Applicants are therefore advised to confirm the specific criteria for the position they intend to apply for before submitting their forms.

Requirements for RAC Managers

The Registration Area Centre Manager position is primarily connected to schools and other institutions designated to serve as RACs or Super RACs.

Heads of schools or eligible staff members of institutions hosting RACs may qualify, subject to INEC's requirements, including the applicable Grade Level 07 and above condition.

Requirements for RATECHs

RATECH, which stands for Registration Area Technical Support, is designed for applicants with relevant ICT and technical backgrounds.

The category includes eligible INEC ICT personnel at the state and headquarters levels who are not engaged in other duties, as well as qualified IT students of Federal and State tertiary institutions.

Former corps members may also qualify where they meet the applicable requirements.

How to Apply for INEC Ad Hoc Staff Recruitment

Interested applicants are required to:

1. Visit the official INEC website and access the INECPRES recruitment platform.

2. Read the instructions and eligibility requirements carefully.

3. Select the position for which they qualify.

4. Complete the required registration details.

5. Provide accurate personal, educational and employment information.

6. Supply all other required information.

7. Review the information entered to ensure it is correct.

8. Submit the application.

9. Keep their registration or application details for future reference.

INEC's official website provides access to its election-staff recruitment information and other electoral services.

Application Deadline

The recruitment portal opened at 8:00 a.m. on September 18, 2026, and applications are expected to close at 12:00 midnight on November 18, 2026.

Applicants are advised to complete their applications well before the deadline to avoid possible last-minute technical difficulties.

INEC said its IT Service Management operates a 24-hour helpdesk to handle enquiries relating to the recruitment platform.

Applicants experiencing difficulties can contact the commission through the 0700-CALL-INEC vanity number or email inecpress@inec.gov.ng.

The commission has urged prospective applicants to rely on its official platforms for accurate information and to carefully check the eligibility requirements before applying.