By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has charged officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Borno State to shun corrupt practices, including result manipulation and compromise of electoral procedures, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The warning was given by the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner of the ICPC overseeing Borno and Yobe states, Linus Gubbi, on Wednesday, 29 July,2026 in Maiduguri, during an event organised to sensitise INEC officials on their role in promoting free, fair and credible elections.
Gubbi explained that the workshop was organised to promote integrity, accountability and transparency in public service, particularly among officers involved in the electoral process, stressing that democracy depended on free, fair and credible elections, and that the credibility of elections depended on the character and compliance culture of those entrusted with conducting them.
He noted that as part of the ICPC’s mandate to prevent corrupt practices, the commission considered the sensitisation exercise key to enlightening officials directly involved in the electoral process on the need to remain free from all forms of corrupt practices and to imbibe integrity in the conduct of elections.
The ICPC official identified electoral corrupt practices to include result manipulation, abuse of office and the collection of inducements, warning that such actions attracted serious consequences.
He explained that corruption in the electoral process, whether through inducement, compromise of procedures, manipulation of results, abuse of office or failure to follow laid-down guidelines, eroded public trust, fuelled tensions, undermined peace and development, and exposed offenders to sanctions.
He, however, commended the officials for participating in the session and called for greater collaboration to strengthen the electoral process, praising the INEC Borno office for its quick response, cooperation and mobilisation of staff for the workshop, and expressing appreciation to all participants for creating time to engage on the assignment.
On his part, the Head of Department, General Administration, INEC in the state, Sadiq Grema, expressed satisfaction with the training, noting that the session had exposed him to information he was previously unaware of.
He commended the ICPC’s collaboration with the electoral body, describing it as one of the best among the government agencies INEC had worked with.
