Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Independent National Electoral Commission has opened its online portal for the recruitment of approximately 1.4 million ad hoc personnel who will conduct the 2027 general elections across Nigeria's more than 176,000 polling units. The INEC Portal for Recruitment of Election Staff, known as INECPRES, opened at 8am on Friday, September 18, 2026, and will remain open until midnight on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.
The recruitment covers two rounds of elections. The 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. Ad hoc staff are temporary personnel recruited, trained, and deployed for specific electoral assignments, and are disengaged after the elections. The commission has advised interested applicants to access the recruitment process through its official website or the INECPRES web portal directly. The portal is also accessible through a mobile application for applicants using smartphones.
INEC is recruiting for five categories of election personnel. Supervisory Presiding Officers are drawn from Federal Public and Civil Service personnel on Grade Level 10 to 14, INEC Registration Area Officers, and eligible INEC staff not assigned to other duties. Serving National Youth Service Corps members are also eligible under the SPO category, as are former corps members who completed their service within the three years preceding the election, specifically those who passed out between 2024 and 2026. Undergraduate students in their penultimate, second, or third year in Federal and State tertiary institutions may also apply.
Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers are open to permanent staff of Federal and State Ministries, Departments and Agencies holding OND or NCE qualifications at the required grade levels, which range from Grade Level 07 to 14 depending on the specific category. Academic and non-academic staff of Federal and State tertiary institutions are also eligible, as are students of these institutions. Registration Area Centre Managers are drawn from heads or eligible staff of schools and institutions designated to host RACs or Super RACs, with a Grade Level 07 and above requirement, alongside eligible INEC staff.
The Registration Area Technical Support category, known as RATECH, is designed for applicants with relevant information and communications technology backgrounds. Eligible applicants include IT and Computer Science students in Federal and State tertiary institutions, former corps members who previously served in INEC ICT departments, and suitable ICT staff of the commission at state and headquarters levels who are not engaged in other duties.
Applicants must fall within one of the designated eligibility categories and must possess the relevant academic credentials where applicable. They must provide accurate, verifiable employment, student, or NYSC registration details. For public and civil service roles, applicants must meet the specified grade-level requirements. RATECH applicants must demonstrate ICT proficiency. All successful applicants must be fully available to participate in mandatory pre-election training and deployment across assigned polling units or centres. Applicants must reside in the state they select and must not have demonstrated or expressed support for any candidate or political party.
INEC has outlined a straightforward application process. Interested persons are required to visit the INECPRES portal or access it through the official INEC website. Before starting the application, they should carefully review the eligibility requirements for their preferred position and confirm that they meet the conditions. Applicants then select the position for which they qualify, complete the registration form with accurate personal, educational, and employment details, and submit the application through the portal. INEC has advised applicants to save their registration information for future reference and subsequent recruitment processes, and to avoid waiting until the final day before applying.
The commission has issued repeated warnings about fraudulent recruitment websites and social media posts claiming to offer INEC ad hoc staff positions. INEC has stated that recruitment is conducted solely through its official INECPRES platform, and that any recruitment notice published outside its official channels is unauthorised. In March 2026, the commission disowned a website circulating as an INEC ad hoc staff recruitment portal, describing it as fake and misleading. Applicants are urged to use only the official INEC website or the INECPRES portal to avoid falling victim to scams.
For technical inquiries or registration support, INEC has established a helpdesk reachable on the 0700-CALL-INEC vanity line, the direct line 070-2255-4632, and the short code 4632. Enquiries can also be sent by email to inecpres@inec.gov.ng. The commission's IT Service Management operates a round-the-clock helpdesk to assist applicants with platform-related issues.
The scale of the recruitment reflects the logistical demands of conducting Nigeria's general elections. With over 176,000 polling units and two rounds of elections separated by three weeks, INEC relies heavily on temporary staff to supplement its permanent workforce. The ad hoc personnel are responsible for tasks ranging from presiding over polling units and assisting with accreditation and voting to managing registration area centres and providing technical support for the commission's electronic verification systems. Their training and deployment are critical to the credibility and smooth conduct of the elections.
For thousands of Nigerians, the recruitment offers an opportunity to participate directly in the electoral process and to earn income during the election period. For INEC, it is an opportunity to build a temporary workforce capable of delivering one of the most complex logistical exercises in Africa. The commission has emphasised that applicants must meet the eligibility conditions for their chosen positions and has warned against submitting false information. As the November 18 deadline approaches, interested Nigerians are encouraged to apply early and to verify all information through official INEC channels before submitting their applications.
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