2027 Poll: Tinubu, Uzodimma Urge Police to Maintain Highest Sense of Professionalism

• IGP reads riot act to officers Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja President Bola Tinubu and Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State have tasked the Nigeria Police to maintain the highest sense of professionalism in the manner they discharge their duties during the forthcoming general election. Both men were on the same page on Monday in Owerri on the need for the police to protect the election process without becoming part of the contest. They spoke at the opening session of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO), which held at Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Convention Centre. Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, in his opening speech, charged the officers to remain neutral, prepared, present, and accountable during the elections. The theme of the retreat was, “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections.” It attracted the high and mighty in the Nigeria Police structure, such as Deputy Inspectors-General, Assistant Inspectors-General, and Commissioners of Police, among other senior officers. They were joined by heads of other security agencies, like Army, Navy, Civil Defence, Department of State Security, and others. The stakeholders in attendance tasked the police on impartiality, use of technology, and collaboration. Tinubu, Uzodimma, and other stakeholders said the Nigeria Police must strengthen its professionalism, impartiality, intelligence gathering, and inter-agency collaboration to ensure a peaceful, credible, and secure general election in 2027. Tinubu, represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, said the police had a central role in protecting voters, electoral officials, candidates, and election materials. He urged the force to embrace technology, improve response time, and deepen cooperation with other security agencies. The president also assured the police of continued federal government support for reforms, training, technology, welfare, and operational logistics, while urging senior officers to translate the retreat’s roadmap into practical measures for strengthening public confidence in the electoral process. Uzodimma, as the host, also urged the police to strengthen intelligence-led policing, embrace digital technology, and improve inter-agency coordination ahead of the 2027 elections. The governor said the changing information environment, misinformation, and digital manipulation had created new challenges for election security, stressing the importance of police neutrality and public trust. He also advocated decentralised policing, saying state police could bring security closer to communities. However, he acknowledged the need to address recruitment, funding, training, accountability, and safeguards against political abuse. The governor called for a practical roadmap that would ensure early threat detection, effective intelligence-sharing, and coordinated responses while protecting the electoral process without compromising police professionalism and impartiality. He spoke strongly against any police behaviour that could deter the electorate from coming out to exercise their civic responsibility on the days of the elections. The governor urged the officers to ensure that there was a trickle-down effect regarding the knowledge they acquired during the retreat, saying, “It should be made to get to the rank and file.” Disu assured Nigerians that the police would work towards delivering free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections in 2027. He unveiled a six-point roadmap focused on intelligence, training, joint command, communication, community partnership, and neutrality. Disu, who pledged that the officers would be neutral, prepared, present, and accountable during the period, warned against vote-buying, arms mobilisation, intimidation, and incitement, stressing that offenders would face prosecution regardless of their status. He also directed the timely payment of election-duty allowances and warned officers against compromising their neutrality or abusing voters. The IGP reminded the audience that election security did not begin and end on Election Day, rather it spanned the entire electoral cycle. He assured Nigerians of the force’s commitment to delivering a credible and peaceful election security, while charging political actors to find the courage to campaign on issues rather than deploy thuggery as strategy.