The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified efforts to improve the quality of its electoral training programmes with the commencement of a two-day Post-Election Training Audit (PETA) and Pre-Training Assessment Workshop (PRETA) in Abuja. The exercise, held at Silver Green Hotel from April 29 to 30, is part of……
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified efforts to improve the quality of its electoral training programmes with the commencement of a two-day Post-Election Training Audit (PETA) and Pre-Training Assessment Workshop (PRETA) in Abuja.
The exercise, held at Silver Green Hotel from April 29 to 30, is part of preparations for the 2026 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States, and also reviewed training activities deployed during the 2025 Anambra governorship election and the 2026 FCT Area Council polls.
Declaring the workshop open, the Acting Director General of The Electoral Institute (TEI), Prof. Ibrahim Sani, said the audit is critical to sustaining electoral credibility, stressing that the performance of poll workers plays a major role in shaping public confidence.
“The electorate’s perception of fairness, credibility and inclusivity of an election is largely determined by the performance of poll workers,” he said, warning that deploying poorly trained personnel could undermine the integrity of elections.
He commended election officials for their performance in the Anambra and FCT elections, attributing the outcomes to improved training quality, while urging participants to critically assess past exercises and recommend practical reforms.
In his welcome address, the Acting Administrative Secretary of TEI, Malam Nasiru Umar, said the audit would provide objective insights into the effectiveness of training activities and help address lapses ahead of future elections.
“It is more profitable to examine what went right or wrong now that these experiences are still fresh in our minds,” he said.
Also speaking, the Director of Planning and Monitoring, Mrs. Helen Ajayi, described the combined PETA and PRETA engagements as strategic, noting that training remains a key pillar in delivering credible elections.
“What worked well must be institutionalised; what did not must be improved with urgency and precision,” she said.
Providing further details, the Director of Training, Dr. Binta Kasim Mohammed, said the audit is designed to comprehensively review the implementation and management of training activities from previous elections while charting a clear course for upcoming polls.
According to her, the exercise covers key aspects of the training cycle, including recruitment processes, inter-departmental collaboration, stakeholder engagement, logistics, training materials, and the effectiveness of delivery, particularly in relation to election procedures and technology deployment.
She added that the audit would also assess coordination, supervision, security at training venues, and the performance of ad hoc personnel, with a view to identifying challenges and recommending improvements.
Goodwill messages were delivered by key departments within the commission. The Director of ICT, represented by Deputy Director Mrs. Anthonia Idemudia, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to continuous improvement.
“We are here because we seek to constantly improve our processes and procedures,” she said.
Similarly, the Director of Electoral Operations, Mallam Isah Magagi Gumi, emphasised the importance of collaboration across departments to achieve effective training outcomes.
INEC said the combined PETA and PRETA initiative reflects its commitment to institutional learning by reviewing past experiences while proactively preparing for future elections.
The commission expressed confidence that the outcome of the workshop would further strengthen its training framework and enhance the delivery of free, fair, credible and inclusive elections across the country.