IGP Assures Fair Policing in Osun Governorship Election

Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has assured Nigerians that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) will remain neutral, professional and impartial before, during and after the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.

Disu gave the assurance on Friday in Abuja while receiving a delegation of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) led by Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).

The meeting focused on election security ahead of the Osun governorship poll.

The IGP said the discussions reflected the shared commitment of the police and civil society to ensure a peaceful, free, fair and credible election.

He acknowledged concerns raised by the CSOs over election violence, voter intimidation, political thuggery and the neutrality of security agencies, describing them as legitimate.

“I want to assure Nigerians that the Nigeria Police Force has taken these concerns seriously and has put in place comprehensive security arrangements for the election,”

“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,” Disu said.

Disu said all officers deployed for election duty had been reminded of their constitutional responsibility to enforce the law without fear or favour.

He added that adequate personnel and operational assets had already been deployed across Osun State, while intelligence gathering and threat assessments had been strengthened to prevent security breaches.

The IGP said the police were working closely with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and other stakeholders to ensure effective coordination.

He warned that anyone involved in vote-buying, voter intimidation, ballot box snatching, thuggery or any other electoral offence would face the full weight of the law, regardless of political affiliation.

Disu also urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully throughout the election period.

“No political ambition is worth the loss of a single Nigerian life,” he said, urging leaders to discourage violence and respect the rule of law.

He encouraged residents of Osun to come out and vote without fear, while reporting any suspicious activity to security personnel.

Speaking earlier, Auwal Rafsanjani said the CSOs visited the IGP to strengthen collaboration with the police in ensuring peaceful and credible elections.

He said political tension ahead of the Osun poll made it important for security agencies to remain impartial and build public confidence.

Also speaking, Yiaga Africa Executive Director Samson Itodo said civil society groups had monitored the pre-election environment through incident tracking, surveys and observation.

According to him, the Osun governorship election will serve as a key test ahead of the 2027 general election, making the neutrality of security agencies critical to public trust.