Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has firmly rejected accusations that security agencies interfere with Nigeria’s electoral outcomes, describing such assertions as both unfounded and unjust.
Speaking on Monday at the third National Democracy Stakeholders Summit in Abuja, Egbetokun—represented by FCT Police Commissioner Adewale Ajao—emphasized that the police operate with strict neutrality during elections and are not involved in the tabulation or manipulation of votes.
He stressed that the responsibilities of law enforcement personnel are confined to ensuring public order, safeguarding electoral materials, and protecting the integrity of the democratic process.
“The idea that the police are involved in rigging is pure imagination.
“We are not partisans—we are not umpires. We don’t count votes; we only monitor the process while INEC does the collation,” Egbetokun said.
The remarks come amid lingering controversies from the 2023 general election, where both the opposition and the ruling All Progressives Congress accused each other—and election stakeholders—of complicity in widespread irregularities.
Earlier report has it that the APC’s Bola Tinubu (now President) won the election with 8,794,726 votes, defeating the Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who polled 6,984,520 and 6,101,533 votes respectively.
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Both Atiku and Obi rejected the results, citing violence, vote suppression, and massive rigging during separate post-election press briefings.
But Egbetokun stressed that the police were constantly working to build professionalism through collaboration and capacity-building.
“We have renewed inter-agency synergy, including with INEC, civil society organisations, and the media.
“Our officers are undergoing continuous training to keep them aligned with democratic standards. I believe the results are becoming evident in off-cycle elections,” he said.
Egbetokun also addressed growing calls for the Federal Government to grant citizens the right to bear arms, warning that such a policy would escalate violence rather than curb it.
“You can’t solve violence with violence. The solution lies in dialogue, tolerance, and mutual surveillance. Armed citizenry will only compound our security challenges,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of drawing lessons from other nations where similar security approaches had fallen short of delivering lasting peace, cautioning that Nigeria must avoid repeating those missteps.