The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has opened its online portal for the recruitment of ad hoc personnel who will participate in the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
The recruitment exercise, which commenced at 8am on Friday, September 18, 2026, is expected to provide INEC with a large pool of temporary election personnel to support voting and other electoral operations across the country.
Ad hoc staff are temporary personnel engaged by the commission for specific electoral assignments. They are recruited, trained and deployed to perform designated duties during elections and are released from those assignments after the exercise.
INEC is expected to deploy about 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide for the 2027 elections. The commission currently lists 176,000-plus polling units on its official website.
The personnel will be deployed for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, as well as the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections scheduled for February 6, 2027.
According to INEC’s recruitment notice, the INEC Portal for Recruitment of Election Staff, known as INECPRES, will remain open until midnight on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.
The commission said interested Nigerians could access the recruitment platform through its official website and the INECPRES portal.
The recruitment covers several categories of election personnel, including Supervisory Presiding Officers, Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, Registration Area Centre Managers and Registration Area Technical Support personnel. These categories are also listed on INEC’s official INECPRES platform.
Who can apply?
INEC said eligibility depends on the position being sought, as well as an applicant’s educational qualification, employment status, institution and other specified conditions.
Among those who may be eligible are serving members of the National Youth Service Corps, former corps members who meet the prescribed conditions, students of Federal and State tertiary institutions, eligible Federal and State government employees, permanent staff of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, qualified INEC personnel and eligible ICT professionals.
Personnel associated with institutions designated to serve as Registration Area Centres may also qualify for specific positions.
The commission has advised applicants to carefully examine the eligibility requirements for their preferred category before commencing the registration process.
Supervisory Presiding Officers
The Supervisory Presiding Officer, SPO, category is largely targeted at eligible personnel in the Federal Public or Civil Service and Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
According to the recruitment requirements, public-sector employees within specified salary-grade levels, including Grade Level 10 to 14, may qualify, subject to the applicable conditions.
Serving NYSC members are also included among potential applicants for relevant positions. Former corps members may qualify where their service falls within the period specified by INEC. The current recruitment notice identifies recent service years, including 2024, 2025 and 2026, for applicable former corps members.
Presiding and Assistant Presiding Officers
The Presiding Officer and Assistant Presiding Officer positions provide opportunities for eligible students of tertiary institutions and certain government employees.
Students of Federal and State universities, polytechnics and other eligible tertiary institutions may apply where they satisfy the educational and other requirements for the positions.
Permanent staff of Federal and State MDAs with qualifications such as Ordinary National Diploma or National Certificate in Education may also qualify under specified conditions.
The applicable salary-grade requirements vary according to the category, making it important for applicants to confirm the precise conditions before selecting a position.
Registration Area Centre Managers
The Registration Area Centre Manager position is connected to institutions designated by INEC to host Registration Area Centres or Super Registration Area Centres.
The head of a school or an eligible staff member of an institution designated to host a RAC may qualify for the position, subject to INEC’s stated requirements, including the applicable Grade Level 07 and above condition.
Registration Area Technical Support
The Registration Area Technical Support, or RATECH, category is designed for personnel with relevant information and communication technology skills.
Eligible INEC ICT personnel at the state and headquarters levels who meet the specified conditions may be considered. IT students of Federal and State tertiary institutions are also included among potential applicants.
Former corps members within the relevant categories may also qualify where they satisfy the requirements.
How to apply
Interested applicants are required to access the INECPRES portal and first review the eligibility requirements for the position they intend to seek.
Applicants should then create or access their profiles, select the appropriate category and complete the registration form with accurate personal, educational and employment information.
The application process requires applicants to provide relevant details and submit the necessary supporting information. Applicants are advised to carefully review all information before final submission.
INEC’s portal guidance for election-staff applications also indicates that applicants should prepare a functional email address, mobile telephone number, personal bank account details, a recent passport photograph, referee information and relevant identification and qualification documents. Applicants are also required to print their acknowledgement slip after submission where instructed.
Applicants should therefore avoid submitting inaccurate information because details provided during registration may be subject to verification.
Application deadline
The INECPRES portal opened at 8am on Friday, September 18, 2026, and will close at midnight on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.
INEC has advised prospective applicants not to wait until the final day before completing their applications.
The recruitment is part of the commission’s wider preparations for the 2027 general elections. INEC has previously said that recruitment and training of ad hoc personnel are among the operational activities being monitored as preparations for the elections intensify.
The commission has also used INECPRES in previous elections to recruit personnel for positions including Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, Supervisory Presiding Officers, Registration Area Technical Support personnel and RAC Managers.
With the 2027 elections expected to involve millions of voters and more than 176,000 polling units, the recruitment, training and deployment of competent election personnel will form a significant part of INEC’s preparations for the two-phase general elections.
Prospective applicants are therefore advised to use only INEC’s official platforms, carefully verify their eligibility and retain their application details and acknowledgement documents after completing the registration process.
