Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s electoral commission has opened recruitment for thousands of ad-hoc staff ahead of the Ekiti governorship election, signalling the start of critical preparations for the June 2026 poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced on Sunday that applications are now open for key election roles, including Supervisory Presiding Officers, Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, Registration Area Centre managers and technical support staff.
The commission said the recruitment portal opened on April 25 and will close on May 18, urging eligible Nigerians to apply early.
INEC outlined strict eligibility criteria, stating that applicants for supervisory roles must be civil servants on Grade Levels 10 to 14 or qualified electoral staff not engaged in other duties. Presiding and assistant presiding officers must be corps members, penultimate students, or qualified public servants with basic IT knowledge.
Applicants for technical roles, known as RATECHs, must have an information technology background and be available for deployment.
The commission stressed that all applicants must be politically neutral.
“Applicants must not be political party members or have expressed support for any candidate or party,” INEC said, adding that candidates must reside in their state of deployment, except for technical staff.
The recruitment drive is part of preparations for the Ekiti off-cycle governorship election scheduled for June 20, where incumbent governor Biodun Oyebanji is seeking re-election.
Off-cycle elections in Nigeria often serve as a test of electoral readiness and logistics, with INEC under pressure to ensure transparency, efficiency and credibility in the process.
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Korede Abdullah 
