Former Independent National Electoral Commission commissioner Mike Igini has warned that politicians could use fake National Youth Service Corps members to manipulate Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, calling for tighter checks to protect the credibility of the voting process.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise TV, Igini explained how politicians had allegedly compromised NYSC deployment lists in the past by inserting fake identities at the state level and providing impostors with NYSC uniforms to pose as election officials on Election Day.
He warned that such tactics could undermine the electoral process if authorities failed to verify the identities of personnel deployed to polling units.
According to Igini, the alleged practice involves placing names of fake individuals on NYSC lists, producing uniforms for them and deploying them as ad hoc election staff to influence the conduct of elections.
He called on electoral authorities to strengthen the verification of personnel records and adopt digital systems that would make it harder for politicians to manipulate staff lists or introduce unauthorised individuals into the electoral process.
The warning comes as INEC prepares for the 2027 general elections, for which the commission is expected to deploy more than 1.4 million ad hoc staff, most of them NYSC members, across 176,846 polling units.
The scale of the planned deployment has raised the importance of accurate records, proper identification and effective monitoring to ensure that only duly verified personnel take part in election duties.
Igini stressed that protecting the integrity of the process would require more than relying on official lists. He called for strict checks to confirm the identities of personnel before they are assigned responsibilities at polling units.
He also reminded Nigerians of the important role voters play in protecting their votes, noting that voters at polling units typically outnumber the four officials commonly assigned to oversee voting activities.
He urged citizens to remain alert, monitor proceedings at their polling units and report suspicious activities that could threaten the credibility of the elections.
Igini’s warning has drawn attention to the need for stronger safeguards against impersonation and the possible infiltration of election operations ahead of the 2027 polls.
With preparations for the elections expected to involve a massive workforce across the country, the former INEC commissioner’s message was clear: reliable digital records, strict identity checks and active public vigilance are essential to preventing fake personnel from compromising the process and protecting Nigerians’ votes.
