The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Mutiu Olaleke Agboke, has cautioned that electoral processes undermined by violence, vote-buying and disinformation erode public confidence, weaken democratic institutions and ultimately hinder sustainable development efforts.

Dr. Agboke made this assertion while delivering a goodwill message at the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) Long-Term Election Security Monitor Training, held at Adolak Hotel, Osogbo.

He was accompanied by members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) management team.

The REC emphasized that credible elections remain a critical foundation for sustainable development in Nigeria, stressing that transparency, inclusiveness and peace in the electoral process are essential to building public trust in governance.

In his address, the REC noted that when elections are conducted in a transparent, inclusive and peaceful manner, citizens are more inclined to trust government institutions and support policies and reforms necessary for national and subnational development.

According to him, confronting these challenges requires deliberate collaboration and shared responsibility among all stakeholders.

Dr. Agboke stressed that strengthening the link between elections and good governance demands a collective sense of ownership of the democratic process by election managers, political actors, civil society organisations, security agencies, the media and citizens.

He commended Kimpact Development Initiative for its sustained commitment to promoting election security and active citizen participation through capacity-building programmes, describing such efforts as vital to deepening democracy.

The training programme attracted participants from diverse sectors and was designed to enhance long-term election security monitoring, with the overarching goal of supporting the conduct of peaceful, credible and accountable elections in Nigeria.