By Gabriel Ewepu

AS 2023 general elections gradually draw closer, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other-Related Offences Commission, ICPC, National Orientation Agency, NOA, and other stakeholders are strategizing to tackle electoral corruption in order to make the electoral process credible.

Also other organizations called for increased synergy to eradicate electoral corruption at a community engagement forum with theme, ‘Building Resilience against Electoral Corruption to Promote Good Governance’, organised by ‘Say No Campaign’ in collaboration with MacArthur Foundation.

ICPC and NOA pointed the need for citizens to take it upon themselves with strong resolve to work with relevant government organizations and nongovernmental organinsations to fight any form of electoral malpractice and perpetrators.

The chairman of ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN), represented by the Director, Enlightenment and Education, ICPC, Mohammed Ashiru Baba, said for elections to be credible and accepted by Nigerians and the international community, it is the responsibility Nigerians to achieve that and not left for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, alone.

However, Baba pointed out that the major issues affecting the electoral process include vote selling and buying, ballot box snatching, falsification of election results, and others.

He said: “It is imperative to note that electoral frauds, ranging from vote selling and vote buying, ballot box snatching, falsification or manipulation of election results (rigging), etc are what we in ICPC consider political corruption and and these forms of corruption are punishable under the Electoral Act.

“Furthermore, the ICPC has been playing key roles in monitoring elections across the country independently and in partnership with INEC as member of the Election Security Committee.

“The commission had in recent past, deployed sensitive security gadgets such as body camera, etc in monitoring elections across the country and had discovered various infractions for which it had prosecuted a number of offenders using sections of the law and the Electoral Act.”

According to him ICPC is out to ensure Nigerians have credible electoral process and results acceptable by all, hence has strengthened the fight against political corruption and electoral fraud.

He also made it known that the agency has opened telephone lines for citizens to dial and report any form of electoral corrupt practices that could jeopardize the process even ahead of the 2023 general elections.

In another goodwill message, the Director General, NOA, Garba Abari, represented by Special Assistant to the DG, NOA, David Akoji, called on Nigerians not to keep silent but raise the alarm over any election infractions.

Abari who pointed out about the task of ensuring a free and fair election INEC would conduct as a critical task that cannot be left to government alone, but all citizens should get involved and make the 2023 elections outstanding, which it will also embark of public enlightenment to achieve it.

“Corruption at all levels of the society is a behavioural consequence of power and greed. Operating without any clearly defined rule book, corruption has the characteristics of being covert, opportunistic, repetitive, powerful, reliant upon dominance and fear with outspoken code. In the face of these characteristics, silence becomes complicity.

“It is incumbent on us all to work towards strengthening our electoral system. This is a critical task that cannot be left to government alone.

“We must raise our voices against electoral infractions. We must do this because we will all be beneficiaries when electoral integrity leads to good governance”, he said.