Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has assured residents of Osun State that the Nigeria Police Force will remain professional, apolitical and impartial before, during and after the governorship election.
Disu gave the assurance on Friday in Abuja when representatives of civil society organisations, led by Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), paid him a courtesy visit to discuss election security.
The meeting focused on concerns surrounding violence, voter intimidation, political thuggery and the neutrality of security agencies ahead of the election.
Disu said the concerns raised by civil society organisations were legitimate and would be addressed through dialogue, transparency and practical security measures.
He said the police had put comprehensive arrangements in place to safeguard the election and ensure that voters could exercise their constitutional rights without fear or intimidation.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains a professional, apolitical and impartial institution. We have no candidate, no political party and no vested interest in the outcome of the election other than ensuring that the lawful choice of the people prevails,” the IGP said.
According to him, all police officers deployed for election duties had been reminded of their constitutional responsibility to enforce the law without fear or favour.
He added that adequate personnel and operational assets had been deployed across Osun State, while intelligence gathering and threat assessments had been intensified to identify and neutralise potential threats before they escalate.
The police chief said the force was also working with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders to ensure effective coordination.
Disu warned that anyone involved in vote buying, voter intimidation, ballot box snatching, thuggery or other electoral offences would face the law regardless of political affiliation or status.
He urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to conduct themselves responsibly, stressing that elections should be about competing ideas and policies rather than violence.
“No political ambition was worth the loss of a single Nigerian life,” Disu said, urging political leaders to restrain their supporters and uphold the rule of law.
He also appealed to Osun voters to participate peacefully and disregard rumours and misinformation capable of undermining the electoral process.
The IGP urged voters to report suspicious activities or violations to the nearest security personnel.
Earlier, Rafsanjani said the CSOs visited the police leadership to strengthen collaboration on election security and promote free, fair and credible elections.
He expressed concern over rising political tensions and stressed the importance of protecting Nigerians during elections.
Rafsanjani said civil society organisations were prepared to support security agencies while ensuring that their operations remained impartial and capable of sustaining public and international confidence.
Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, said civil society groups had independently monitored developments surrounding the Osun election through incident tracking, public perception surveys and pre-election observation.
Itodo said the groups had consolidated evidence from their various monitoring activities and identified key election security risks emerging ahead of the poll.
He described the Osun election as significant because it could provide an indication of what to expect ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the election presents an opportunity for security and electoral institutions to strengthen public confidence by demonstrating neutrality.
He said the neutrality of the police and other security agencies remained a major concern among voters and other stakeholders.
