Follow Us on Google
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja and Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Nigeria Police Force to develop a practical security roadmap for the 2027 general elections, warning that the Force must not be used to advance political interests or interfere with the electoral process.
He said the plan must guarantee the safety of voters and electoral officials, secure campaigns and polling centres and prevent violence and intimidation throughout the elections.
Tinubu gave the directive while declaring open the 2026 Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers in Owerri, Imo State, themed, “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections,” yesterday.
As part of preparations for the polls, Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has unveiled a six-pillar election security framework and ordered Commissioners of Police across the country to identify and map potential electoral flashpoints, criminal networks and emerging threats within their commands.
Disu also announced that the Force would open a public election complaints line on October 12, 2026, and warned that officers who take sides, harass voters, collude with political actors or abuse police powers would be held accountable.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, the President said preparations for the elections must be anchored on intelligence-led operations, professionalism and effective coordination among the Police, other security agencies and electoral authorities.
He warned particularly against the Police being deployed to advance partisan interests, stressing that its neutrality would be critical to public confidence in the electoral process.
“The police must be seen not as an instrument of any political interest, but as a national institution serving the Nigerian people and protecting the constitutional order.
“This is fundamental to public trust and to the credibility of our democracy,” Tinubu said.
According to the President, election security goes beyond protecting polling stations, ballot papers and other electoral materials and must extend to voters, electoral officials and the entire electoral environment.
He tasked senior officers at the retreat to produce a practical and implementable roadmap capable of strengthening the Force’s preparedness for the elections.
Tinubu also directed the Police to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve response times, deepen community engagement, deploy technology and enhance inter-agency cooperation in tackling security threats.
Responding to the challenge, Disu unveiled a six-pillar framework which he said would guide police preparations for the elections.
Other News
The pillars are strengthened intelligence and early-warning systems; intensive training and preparedness; joint command and inter-agency coordination; effective communication and deployment of technology; sustained community partnership; and absolute neutrality.
As part of the intelligence and early-warning component, the IGP directed Commissioners of Police to begin identifying and mapping potential electoral flashpoints, criminal networks and emerging threats within their commands.
He also ordered the strengthening of community-based intelligence gathering to enable the Force detect and respond to threats before they escalate into electoral violence.
Disu warned against political violence, voter intimidation, vote-buying and other electoral offences, reaffirming that the Police would remain neutral in the contest.
He warned that any officer found taking sides, harassing voters, colluding with political actors or abusing police powers would face disciplinary action.
The IGP also announced that the Force would release an official public election complaints line on October 12, ahead of the elections.
According to him, the opening of the conference coincided with the International Day of Peace, marked this year under the theme, “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”
He said investing in peace from the policing perspective required professionalism, public trust and proactive measures to prevent violence.
Tinubu, meanwhile, pledged continued Federal Government investment in police personnel, training, technology, intelligence infrastructure, operational logistics, welfare and institutional reforms.
He said the support was necessary to strengthen the operational capacity of the Force ahead of the elections and in confronting wider security challenges.
The President commended the IGP and Police Management Team for efforts to reposition the Force and acknowledged officers confronting kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, armed robbery, cultism and other violent crimes across the country.
He, however, said government support must be matched by courage, integrity, discipline, accountability and professionalism, stressing that officers must respect the rights and dignity of citizens.
Tinubu said the outcome of the retreat should extend beyond preparations for the elections by contributing to the emergence of a modern, professional, technology-enabled, intelligence-driven and citizen-centred Police Force.
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, who welcomed participants, said the state was hosting the conference for the fourth time and commended the Police leadership for sustaining the platform for strategic engagement on security challenges.
Among those represented at the opening were Senate President Godswill Akpabio; the House Committee on Police Affairs; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Naval Staff, Idi Abbas and Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Hashimu Argungu.
