WHAT TO KNOW: Who can apply for INEC’s 2027 ad hoc staff recruitment

The Independent National Electoral Commission has commenced the recruitment of temporary election personnel ahead of the 2027 general elections, with about 1.4 million ad hoc workers expected to be deployed across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.

The personnel will be engaged in different capacities for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections fixed for February 6, 2027.

INEC said its online recruitment platform, known as INECPRES, opened at 8am on Friday, September 18, 2026, and will remain available until midnight on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.

The recruitment exercise covers positions including Supervisory Presiding Officers, Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, Registration Area Centre Managers and Registration Area Technical Support personnel.

Who is eligible to apply?

According to the commission, eligibility depends on the position sought, the applicant’s educational background, employment status and institutional affiliation.

Those who may qualify include serving National Youth Service Corps members, eligible former corps members, students of Federal and State tertiary institutions, government employees, permanent staff of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, qualified INEC personnel and eligible ICT workers.

Personnel attached to institutions selected to host Registration Area Centres may also qualify for relevant positions, although applicants are required to confirm the conditions attached to each category before submitting their applications.

Requirements for SPOs

The Supervisory Presiding Officer category is open to eligible personnel within the Federal Public and Civil Service as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

INEC lists public-sector workers on Grade Level 10 to 14 among those who may qualify, subject to the requirements for the position.

Serving NYSC members are also included, while former corps members may qualify where their service falls within the period specified by the commission.

For former corps members, the notice cites 2024, 2025 and 2026 as qualifying service years under the applicable three-year condition.

PO, APO, RAC and RATECH positions

The Presiding Officer and Assistant Presiding Officer categories include eligible students of Federal and State tertiary institutions, with requirements varying according to their level of study.

Permanent employees of Federal and State MDAs holding OND or NCE qualifications may also qualify under the specified conditions, including applicable salary-grade requirements.

For Registration Area Centre Managers, the eligibility criteria are linked to schools and other institutions designated to host RACs or Super RACs.

The head of a school or an employee of an institution hosting an RAC may qualify, subject to the applicable requirements, including the Grade Level 07 and above condition.

Registration Area Technical Support, commonly known as RATECH, is targeted at applicants with relevant ICT and technical experience.

Eligible INEC ICT personnel at the state and headquarters levels, IT students of Federal and State tertiary institutions and, where applicable, former corps members may fall within the category.

How to apply

Applicants are expected to access the INECPRES portal through INEC’s official website, read the eligibility requirements and select only a position for which they qualify.

They must then provide the requested personal, educational and employment information, supply any required supporting details, review the information entered and submit the application.

Applicants are advised to retain their registration details after submission for future reference.

When applications close

The recruitment portal opened at 8am on Friday, September 18, 2026, and INEC has fixed midnight on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, as the closing time for applications.

The commission has advised prospective applicants to complete their submissions before the deadline instead of waiting until the final hours of the exercise.

For enquiries concerning the platform, INEC said its IT Service Management operates a 24-hour helpdesk through the 0700-CALL-INEC number and the email address inecpress@inec.gov.ng.

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