Former INEC REC exposes plot to plant fake NYSC officials at polling units to rig elections, says 'politicians infiltrate the NYSC list and sew uniforms for them’

• Mike Igini alleges that unauthorised people are added to NYSC lists and given uniforms to work at polling units.

• He urges the NYSC Director-General to verify the integrity of lists submitted for election duties.

• He calls for greater use of technology and stronger oversight ahead of the 2027 elections.

A former Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mike Igini, has raised concerns over the alleged infiltration of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) lists by people who could be deployed to conduct elections in Nigeria.

Igini claimed that politicians manipulate the lists at the state level, introduce unauthorised people and arrange for them to wear NYSC uniforms so they can pass as legitimate corps members and work at polling units to rig the election.

He made the allegations during an appearance on Arise News’ Morning Show on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, while discussing preparations for the 2027 general elections and the need to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process. 

“What happened is that politicians infiltrate those agencies. They infiltrate those agencies and create liability for the INEC itself as an institution. The laws are no longer enforced. That is my greatest worry about this election.” Igini said.

He called on the Director-General of the NYSC to certify the integrity of the lists submitted for election duties.

READ NEXT: 2027 Elections: Catholic Bishops announces 4 dates for nationwide fasting and prayer against rigging and violence

He said that people are brought onto the lists to conduct elections at polling units through compromised processes before being presented to INEC as election personnel.

“What [politicians] do is that they will infiltrate the list, either at the state level. They would bring in people, [and] sew NYSC uniforms for them,” he said.

He said the problem requires greater scrutiny of recruitment lists and stronger supervision, rather than focusing only on senior INEC officials who may not be directly involved in conducting elections on voting day.

Igini said Nigerians should pay closer attention to the people who will handle voting and results at polling units, particularly presiding officers recruited from the NYSC and other federal institutions.

He argued that political interference in the recruitment process could undermine the credibility of elections if people are able to enter the system through compromised lists.

Drawing on his experience as a former electoral commissioner, Igini said he had encountered questionable names on lists submitted for election-related assignments.

He recalled an incident during preparations for an election in Akwa Ibom State in 2019, when he said people who presented as university staff were found on a list submitted for training, including a market woman who said her name had been included.

READ NEXT: ‘We must never normalise injustice’: Peter Obi remembers Lekki shootings 6 years after #EndSARS

Igini said he halted the training after the discovery, describing it as an example of why electoral officials must verify the identities and eligibility of people selected for election duties.

He urged the NYSC leadership to ensure that lists supplied for the 2027 elections are properly checked before the individuals named on them are deployed.

The former INEC commissioner also called for greater use of technology to strengthen electoral transparency and reduce opportunities for manipulation.

He warned that organisations that fail to embrace technology risk being overtaken by disorder and institutional decline.

Igini also sought to reassure voters that polling units remain an important point of protection for the electoral process because voters generally outnumber the officials assigned to conduct elections.

He said Nigeria has 176,846 polling units, with four officials assigned to each unit, arguing that voters have significant power to monitor what happens where they cast their ballots.

READ NEXT: FACT-CHECK: Will every Nigerian pay 25% income tax after the 2027 election?

Igini encouraged voters and political parties to pay attention to the voting and counting processes, including the documentation of results announced at polling units.

His comments come as preparations continue for the 2027 general elections, with questions about electoral transparency, the recruitment of ad hoc officials and the protection of votes likely to remain central to public debate.

The allegations have not, in themselves, established that the people Igini described successfully manipulated any particular election. They raise questions about how NYSC and INEC verify the identities and eligibility of people recruited for electoral duties.