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See how to apply for INEC ad hoc staff recruitment for 2027 polls

Published

2 months ago

September 18, 2026

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

Ad hoc staff are temporary personnel recruited, trained and deployed for specific elections and released after the exercise.

In this recruitment, the electoral umpire said it will deploy about 1.4 million across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.

Those recruited will work in various capacities for INEC during the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections scheduled for February 6, 2027.

According to a public notice issued by the commission on Thursday, “the INEC Portal for Recruitment of Election Staff, known as INECPRES, will open at 8am on Friday, September 18, 2026, and close at midnight on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.”

The commission said interested applicants could access the application through its official website, INEC official website, while the web version of the INECPRES portal is available at INECPRES portal.

The recruitment covers several categories of election personnel, including Supervisory Presiding Officers, Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, Registration Area Centre Managers and Registration Area Technical Support personnel.

Who can apply?

INEC said eligibility varies according to the position, an applicant’s institution, employment status and educational background.

Potential applicants include eligible:

Serving NYSC members;
Former NYSC members who meet the specified conditions;
Students of Federal and State tertiary institutions;
Eligible Federal and State government employees;
Permanent staff of Ministries, Departments and Agencies;
Qualified INEC personnel;
Eligible ICT personnel; and
Personnel connected with institutions designated to host Registration Area Centres.

Applicants are required to check the specific eligibility conditions for their preferred position before applying.

Requirements for SPOs

The Supervisory Presiding Officer category covers eligible personnel from the Federal Public/Civil Service and Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

The notice lists public-sector employees within Grade Level 10 to 14 among those who may qualify, subject to the applicable conditions.

Serving NYSC members are also included in the eligibility criteria, while former corps members may qualify where their service falls within the period specified by INEC.

The notice gives 2024, 2025 and 2026 as examples 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 include eligible students of tertiary institutions and certain government employees.

Students of Federal and State tertiary institutions are listed among the eligible applicants, with the requirements varying according to their year of study.

Permanent staff of Federal and State MDAs with OND or NCE qualifications are also included under specified conditions.

The notice provides different salary-grade requirements, including GL 07-10 and GL 07-14, depending on the applicable category.

Applicants should therefore confirm their eligibility before selecting a position.

Requirements for RAC Managers

The Registration Area Centre Manager category is linked to schools and other institutions designated to host RACs or Super RACs.

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

Requirements for RATECHs

RATECH means Registration Area Technical Support.

The category is targeted at applicants with relevant ICT and technical backgrounds.

The notice lists eligible INEC ICT staff at the 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 within the commission may also be considered where applicable.

How to apply

Interested applicants can apply by following these steps:

Visit the INECPRES web portal or access INECPRES through the official INEC website.
Read the instructions and eligibility requirements for the available positions.
Select the position for which you are eligible.
Complete the required registration details.
Enter your personal, educational and employment information accurately.
Provide the required supporting information.
Review the information supplied before submitting the application.
Submit the application.
Keep the registration or application details for future reference.

Application deadline

The INECPRES recruitment portal opens at 8am on Friday, September 18, 2026.

Applications close at 12 midnight on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.

Applicants are advised to complete their applications before the deadline rather than wait until the final day.

INECPRES helpdesk

The notice states that INEC’s IT Service Management operates a 24-hour helpdesk for enquiries relating to the platform.

Applicants can use the 0700-CALL-INEC vanity number or email inecpress@inec.gov.ng for enquiries.

Source: punchng.com

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SEE FULL LIST: NJC recommends 28 candidates for judicial appointments

Published

15 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended 28 candidates for appointment as judicial officers across six states, including 24 candidates for various State High Courts.

The recommendations cover the High Courts of Kano, Ebonyi, Edo, Adamawa and Ogun states, the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal and Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal.

The Council announced the recommendations in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe.

It said the decisions were taken at its 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun.

According to the Council, one candidate was recommended as Grand Kadi of the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, while another was recommended as Kadi of the Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal.

Two others were recommended as judges of the Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal.

The appointment includes “24 High Court candidates and four candidates for the Sharia and Customary Courts of Appeal.”

The full list of the 28 recommended candidates is as follows:

PLATEAU STATE SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL (GRAND KADI)

1. Tijjani Jibrin Zololo

KANO STATE HIGH COURT

2. Nafisah Yusuf Hassan
3. Halima Yahuza Ahmad
4. Abdullahi Abdulsalam Bature
5. Musa Ibrahim Umar

EBONYI STATE HIGH COURT

6. Dickson Edmund Amaga

EDO STATE HIGH COURT

7. Benson Osagie Osawaru
8. Taiye Osayanmon Omoruyi
9. Dorothy Ibhade Adamaigbo
10. Festus Osagie Usiobaifo
11. Pius Idemudia Oiwoh
12. Majebi Samuel Amune
13. Emike Jessica Imuekemhe

ADAMAWA STATE HIGH COURT

14. Aminu Sa’ad
15. Ibrahim Ulenda Musa
16. Sadiq Giwa
17. Musa Bala Mijinyawa
18. Japhet Ibrahim
19. Aliyu Bakari
20. Yakubu Ahmadu

OGUN STATE HIGH COURT

21. Olakulehin Luqman Abiola Oke
22. Adebimpe Folusho Obienu
23. Fatimat Adeola Daudu
24. Rafiat Bolanle Kadiri
25. Oludotun Olaniyi Osho

ADAMAWA STATE SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL (KADI)

26. Abubakar Ishaku

ADAMAWA STATE CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL

27. Elshama Gwama Dimas
28. David Benjamin Pembi

The NJC said all the recommended candidates were expected to be sworn in by their respective state governors without delay.

Source: punchng.com

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JD Vance reveals Iran war cost Republicans midterm elections, read details

Published

15 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

United States Vice President JD Vance has blamed the Iran war for the Republican Party’s poor performance in the 2026 midterm elections, saying many supporters of President Donald Trump switched allegiance to Democrats over dissatisfaction with the conflict.

Vance said this in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, arguing that the party’s defeat was not primarily caused by poor voter turnout but by the defection of voters who supported the Trump-Vance ticket in 2024.

He said data analysis conducted by his team before the elections had shown that Republican supporters were turning out in significant numbers, despite opinion polls predicting a major Democratic victory.

“One of the things the data analysts on our side obsessed over was ‘composition’—whether the electorate looked close enough to 2024 for Republicans to win,” he said.

Vance explained that although turnout was encouraging in several states, a member of his data team had warned him that many Republican voters were angry and might not vote for the party.

“Well, that looks prophetic now. Our voters did show up. In Florida, for example, the electorate was nine points more Republican than Democrat, just a couple points worse than 2024,” he said.

“But the main problem is not turnout. The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026.”

The Vice President acknowledged that the party might have failed to communicate its economic policies effectively, particularly on the cost of living and inflation.

However, he said the major reasons voters abandoned the Republicans were concerns about the war, economic hardship, America’s foreign policy priorities and its relationship with Israel.

According to Vance, a pollster who accurately predicted the election outcome identified four major demands among former Republican supporters who switched to the Democrats.

The demands were to end the war, prioritise the cost of living and inflation, put America first and change the country’s relationship with Israel.

“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance stated.

He also defended television personality Rachel Campos-Duffy, saying her earlier call for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict had proved politically sound.

Vance warned against attempts by Republican establishment figures to attribute the party’s electoral setback to other issues, particularly immigration policy.

He said he was open to reviewing immigration enforcement strategies, including targeting businesses that employ undocumented workers, but rejected calls for amnesty.

“Anyone pushing amnesty is lying to you,” he said.

The Vice President challenged those who believed the war was worth the political cost to defend that position openly, noting that the defeat could cost Republicans control of the Senate for the next six years.

“If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay,” he said.

“Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest.”

Despite the setback, Vance expressed optimism about the country’s future, urging disappointed Republican supporters to channel their anger into rebuilding the party and electing candidates who share their political views.

“Let’s take that anger and get back to the work of saving our country,” he added.

Source: punchng.com

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UK to strengthen immigration enforcement with facial recognition

Published

15 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The United Kingdom government plans to expand live facial recognition technology to strengthen immigration enforcement and identify individuals who have violated immigration rules.

The initiative, being developed by the Home Office, could see facial recognition cameras deployed at transport hubs and public events to help immigration officers identify people who have overstayed their visas, entered the country unlawfully or breached their immigration conditions.

According to policy documents published in October and sighted by PUNCH Online on Thursday, the proposed expansion could extend the technology’s use to general immigration enforcement, including civil immigration violations that do not necessarily involve criminal offences.

The development comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood seeks to intensify immigration enforcement through increased funding, additional personnel and expanded deportation operations.

The Home Office said the technology would help officers identify individuals subject to removal proceedings and those attempting to re-enter the UK unlawfully.

The policy documents also suggest that facial recognition could reduce the need for repeated enforcement visits to residential properties and workplaces.

Authorities have already conducted three trials of the technology at Holyhead port in north Wales between November 2025 and February 2026. The trials focused on identifying individuals travelling from Ireland who were subject to deportation orders or wanted over immigration-related criminal offences.

The programme has now entered its formal delivery phase, with officials considering wider deployments at transport hubs and large public gatherings.

A Home Office spokesperson confirmed that further trials were being considered while the government examined the potential benefits and implications of the technology.

U K Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: “Facial recognition technology has been the biggest breakthrough for catching criminals since DNA matching, already helping police take thousands of dangerous criminals off our streets.

“The benefits are clear, but we must ensure that its use is fair, safe and proportionate.

“It is right we put in place clear laws to ensure that the use of this technology is watertight, so the public can have confidence that these tools, which are vital to our safety, are used responsibly too.”

However, the proposed expansion has raised concerns among civil liberties organisations and migrant rights advocates over privacy, surveillance and the possibility of inaccurate identification.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants described the development as a significant escalation of immigration enforcement powers, while the Open Rights Group questioned the transparency of the plans, public consent and the absence of comprehensive legislation governing facial recognition.

Critics have also warned that the technology could disproportionately affect people of colour because of concerns about identification accuracy.

Meanwhile, Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner William Webster has questioned whether existing regulatory arrangements are sufficient to oversee the expanding use of facial recognition across government agencies.

Under the proposed policy, individuals under 18 will not be included on facial recognition watchlists.

Source: punchng.com

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