Nigeria’s electoral body has launched a new anti-corruption drive for its staff, warning that electoral malpractice is driving up the cost of governance and undermining public trust.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has partnered with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to host a two-day training seminar ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The workshop, titled Corruption-Free Election: Integrity Matters, commenced on Monday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

The Rising Cost of Compromised Votes

At the opening of the session, ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu warned that corruption within the electoral ecosystem remains a primary obstacle to national development.

Speaking through his legal director, Henry Emore, the anti-graft chief noted that when the integrity of a vote is compromised, the financial strain on the state multiplies.

“Government spends more to conduct supplementary elections and to maintain law and order, while agencies such as the ICPC are stretched by a surge of petitions and litigation,” Mr Emore said.

He praised frontline electoral officers, acknowledging that many regularly “put their lives on the line” to administer elections in volatile regions across the country.

Restoring Public Trust

The upcoming 2027 general elections will be a major test for INEC, which faced heavy criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups during the 2023 polls over logistical delays and electronic transmission glitches.

Representing the INEC Chairman, National Commissioner May Agbamuche-Mbu stated that the commission must take the lead in reshaping national values.

“When elections are compromised, public trust is eroded, and the nation suffers as a result,” she said, adding that the joint training is designed to establish strict code-of-conduct benchmarks for polling staff before campaigning begins.