Nigeria: Osun Election - Police Will Be Apolitical, Impartial - - IGP Disu

What the report says

Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has said the police will remain professional, apolitical and impartial before, during and after the governorship election in Osun, according to Vanguard, which was carried by AllAfrica. He made the remarks in Abuja on Friday during a courtesy visit by civil society organisations led by Auwal Rafsanjani of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).

The meeting focused on election security and concerns about violence, voter intimidation, thuggery and the neutrality of security agencies. Disu said the police had put in place security arrangements for the poll, increased intelligence gathering and threat assessment, and deployed personnel and operational assets across Osun. He also said officers assigned to election duty had been reminded to uphold the law without fear or favour.

Disu said the force would work with the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other stakeholders to help create a safe environment for voting. He warned that anyone involved in vote buying, ballot box snatching or intimidation would face the law regardless of political status. He also urged parties, candidates and supporters to avoid violence and called on voters to turn out peacefully.

The civil society visitors said they wanted to support a free, fair and credible election and shared concerns about the political climate and public confidence in security institutions. Yiaga Africa’s Samson Itodo said the groups had been tracking developments around the Osun contest and viewed it as an important test of election management and security ahead of future polls, including the 2027 general election.