The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has assured the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the Nigeria Police Force’s readiness to enforce electoral laws firmly and professionally ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The IGP gave the assurance on Wednesday during a meeting with the Chairman of INEC, Joaish Amupitan, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Disu said the Police, as the lead agency in election security management, would remain impartial and committed to ensuring credible, peaceful and transparent elections across the country.
“I assure you that under the present leadership of the Nigerian Police Force, we will remain professional, impartial, firm, and guided strictly by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, and all existing laws,” the IGP stated.
He stressed that no political party, candidate or interest group would receive preferential treatment from the Police, warning that officers found engaging in partisan conduct or unethical practices would face disciplinary and legal consequences.
“I want to repeat that again. We will ensure that we enforce electoral laws firmly and we will do it professionally,” he said.
The police boss disclosed that strategic threat assessments and intelligence mapping had already commenced nationwide to identify flashpoints and emerging security threats ahead of the elections.
According to him, the Force has identified concerns including political violence, proliferation of illegal arms, misinformation, cyber manipulation, voter intimidation and attacks on electoral infrastructure.
He said intelligence-led deployments and preventive policing strategies would be adopted to neutralise threats before they materialise.
Disu also assured INEC of adequate security for electoral officials, sensitive materials, collation centres and critical electoral infrastructure during the election period.
He called for early release and wide dissemination of INEC’s election timetable to enable proper planning, logistics coordination, personnel training and inter-agency collaboration.
The IGP further advocated stronger cooperation among security agencies through joint trainings, intelligence sharing, harmonised communication strategies and coordinated crisis response mechanisms.
He revealed that plans were underway to engage political parties in peace accords and stakeholder seminars aimed at ensuring peaceful conduct before, during and after the elections.
On personnel preparedness, Disu said officers selected for electoral duties would undergo intensive training on electoral security management, human rights compliance, rules of engagement, crowd control and ethical conduct.
Earlier, INEC Chairman, Prof. Amupitan, congratulated the IGP on his appointment and expressed confidence in his leadership and experience.
He formally informed the Police hierarchy that the 2027 Presidential Election is scheduled for January 16, 2027, while Governorship and State Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
The INEC Chairman also disclosed that governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as several by-elections arising from deaths and vacancies in the National Assembly, would be conducted on June 20 this year.
Amupitan emphasised that elections and security are inseparable components of national stability, noting that proactive security measures were essential to protecting voters, electoral personnel and democratic institutions.
“The roadmap for the elections is not just an administrative timeline, it is a security trigger,” he said.
He warned that insecurity across parts of the country poses significant threats to the conduct of elections and called for comprehensive security analysis, intelligence sharing and inter-agency coordination ahead of the polls.
The INEC Chairman also reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to working closely with the Police and other security agencies to ensure peaceful, credible and transparent elections that reflect the will of Nigerians.
