Agency report
The Inspector-General(I-G) of Police, Olatunji Disu has assured Nigerians that the Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with sister security agencies, has activated comprehensive operational and tactical assets to guarantee peaceful and credible 2027 general elections.
Disu, who was represented by AIG Alinyenu Idu,in charge of the Police Mobile Force, gave the advice at the World news conference and stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday in Abuja.
He pledged that security personnel would exercise legitimate authority rather than force, ensuring that voters could freely exercise their franchise without intimidation.
“Assurances are given here that we hope and believe the upcoming election in January and beyond will be an election that citizens will celebrate, with freedom attained through their democratic rights, ensuring that violence is tamed, citizens are free to come out, and the election has full legitimacy,” Disu said.
The I-G said the force was drawing from a rich institutional memory spanning more than a century to uphold its responsibility as a guardian of social harmony.
He stated that security forces were deploying targeted strategies to moderate election activities, curb potential violence and safeguard the democratic process at all stages.
“We have been able to regulate our actions to moderate election activities, starting from pre-election activities, where we try to activate both operational and tactical assets to review the social fabric of the nation and ensure that the opportunity to participate in electing their leaders does not turn into beds of violence,” he said.
Addressing ongoing security challenges across the country, the IG noted that clearance operations were actively stabilising volatile regions to eliminate pockets of fear and restore public confidence ahead of the polls.
“What the Police is doing currently is to stabilise the various arenas of development and citizens’ activity.
“Clearance operations are currently ongoing around Kogi, Niger, Benue and Taraba to ensure that within time, we will be able to police the various crisis points and ensure there is social harmony for the election,” he said.
Disu assured that security arrangements would cover polling venues, sensitive and non-sensitive election materials, movement logistics, collation centres and the announcement of final results.
He added that special frameworks had also been instituted to protect vulnerable groups, including women, during the electoral process.
Disu revealed that a comprehensive review of pre-election operations would take place in November, followed by an end-of-year briefing to update the public on security readiness by the security agencies.
In his remarks, the chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr Yusuf Dantalle, called on the electoral umpire, security agencies, and the media to maintain high standards of neutrality and professionalism in the 2027 general elections.
Dantalle expressed appreciation for the progress recorded in the Osun election, describing the engagement as an encouraging precedent that Nigerians expect to see sustained in future national elections.
