INEC opens recruitment portal for 1.4 Million Ad Hoc Staff for 2027 elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission has opened its online recruitment portal for the engagement of ad hoc staff for the 2027 general elections.

The commission said it plans to deploy about 1.4 million temporary election personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide for the polls.

The recruitment portal, known as the INECPRES platform, opened at 8am on Friday, September 18, 2026, and will remain accessible until midnight on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.

INEC, in a public notice issued on Thursday, urged interested applicants to check the eligibility requirements for their preferred positions before submitting their applications.

Ad hoc staff are temporary personnel recruited, trained and deployed to perform specific duties during elections and disengaged after the exercise.

The categories covered by the current recruitment include 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?

INEC said eligibility varies depending on the position, applicant’s institution, employment status and educational qualifications.

Applicants are expected to carefully review the conditions applicable to their preferred category before proceeding with registration.

For Supervisory Presiding Officers, the commission said eligible personnel from the Federal Public/Civil Service and Ministries, Departments and Agencies may apply.

Public-sector employees on Grade Levels 10 to 14 are among those listed as potentially eligible, subject to the applicable conditions.

Serving members of the National Youth Service Corps are also included, while former corps members may qualify where their service falls within the period specified by INEC.

The commission cited 2024, 2025 and 2026 as examples of qualifying years for former corps members whose service was completed within the specified three-year period before the election.

Requirements for POs and APOs

The Presiding Officer and Assistant Presiding Officer categories are open to eligible students of tertiary institutions and certain government employees.

Students of Federal and State tertiary institutions are among those eligible, although requirements vary depending on their year of study.

Permanent staff of Federal and State Ministries, Departments and Agencies with OND or NCE qualifications may also qualify under specified conditions.

INEC listed different salary-grade requirements, including GL 07-10 and GL 07-14, depending on the applicable category.

RAC Managers

The Registration Area Centre Manager category is intended for personnel connected to schools and other institutions designated to host Registration Area Centres or Super RACs.

According to the commission, the head of a school or a staff member of an institution hosting a RAC may qualify, subject to the specified requirements, including the applicable Grade Level 07 and above condition.

RATECH recruitment

Registration Area Technical Support, known as RATECH, is targeted at applicants with relevant information and communications technology and technical backgrounds.

INEC listed eligible commission ICT personnel at state and headquarters levels who are not engaged in other duties, as well as IT students of Federal and State tertiary institutions.

Former corps members may also qualify under the applicable conditions.

How to apply

Interested applicants are required to access the INECPRES recruitment platform through the official INEC website and follow the instructions provided for their preferred category.

Applicants are advised to confirm that they meet the relevant requirements before submitting their applications.

The recruitment portal opened at 8am on Friday, September 18, 2026, and will close at 12 midnight on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.

INEC advised prospective applicants to complete their applications ahead of the deadline rather than wait until the final day.

INECPRES helpdesk

The commission said its IT Service Management operates a 24-hour helpdesk to assist applicants with enquiries relating to the recruitment platform.

Applicants can contact the helpdesk through the 0700-CALL-INEC vanity number or via email at [email protected].