Nigeria’s political parties are stepping up preparations for the 2027 general elections, with major contenders beginning efforts to recruit and deploy polling agents across the country’s 176,846 polling units.
The preparations involve the ruling All Progressives Congress, the African Democratic Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, the Labour Party, the Nigeria Democratic Congress and other political parties.
According to a report by Punch, the parties are working on different strategies to ensure they have representatives at polling units to monitor the voting process and protect their interests.
While some are relying on established party structures and financially capable candidates, others are considering volunteers and grassroots supporters.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed December 10, 2026, as the deadline for submitting polling agents’ names for the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
The deadline for submitting agents for the governorship and state assembly elections is January 6, 2027.
The APC says it is working towards nationwide coverage, while the PDP has reportedly started training party officials on recruiting and uploading polling agents.
The ADC is also exploring volunteer-based arrangements within its available capacity.
The development shows that the battle for 2027 is moving beyond rallies and public endorsements. Political parties know that having reliable representatives at polling units will be crucial to monitoring the process and protecting votes.
