Osun election: Police pledge neutrality, warn against vote buying, violence

Osun election: Police pledge neutrality, warn against vote buying, violence

The Nigeria Police Force has assured residents of Osun State that it will remain neutral, professional and impartial during the August 15, 2026 governorship election, warning politicians, supporters and other stakeholders against vote buying, violence and electoral offences.

Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu gave the assurance during a meeting with civil society organisations (CSOs) led by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in Abuja.

Disu said the police had no political interest in the outcome of the Osun governorship election, stressing that the force’s responsibility was to provide a secure environment where eligible voters could freely exercise their constitutional rights.

He said police officers deployed for election duties had been reminded of their constitutional obligation to enforce the law impartially and protect voters, candidates, electoral officials and other participants regardless of political affiliation.

“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.

The IGP said adequate police personnel and operational assets had been deployed across the state, while intelligence gathering and threat assessments had been strengthened to identify and prevent potential security threats.

According to him, the police are also working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and other relevant stakeholders to ensure effective coordination before, during and after the election.

Disu specifically warned that individuals involved in vote buying, voter intimidation, ballot-box snatching, political thuggery and other electoral offences would face the full weight of the law, irrespective of their political connections or status.

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He also appealed to political parties and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully, saying no political ambition should be allowed to result in the loss of lives or disruption of the electoral process.

The police chief urged eligible voters in Osun to participate in the election without fear and encouraged residents to report suspicious activities to security personnel.

The assurance comes amid increased attention on the security situation and the neutrality of law enforcement agencies ahead of the Osun 2026 governorship election.

Civil society organisations have continued to stress the importance of security agencies maintaining neutrality, particularly in view of concerns about electoral violence, voter intimidation and vote buying.

CISLAC Executive Director Auwal Rafsanjani said civil society organisations remained committed to working with security agencies and other stakeholders to promote a peaceful, credible and violence-free election.

Yiaga Africa Executive Director Samson Itodo also described the Osun governorship election as an important test for Nigeria’s electoral institutions ahead of the 2027 general election.

Itodo stressed that the neutrality and professionalism of security agencies would be crucial to strengthening public confidence in the electoral process.

Election-monitoring organisations have similarly identified security threats and voter inducement as issues requiring close attention ahead of the poll.

Yiaga Africa has announced the deployment of 332 observers across Osun State’s 30 local government areas and the state Area Office to monitor the election and provide independent assessments of the electoral process.

The organisation has urged political parties and candidates to prioritise peaceful campaigns and respect the rights of voters, while calling on security agencies to enforce electoral laws fairly.

INEC has also been intensifying preparations for the election, including measures aimed at strengthening election security and preventing violence.

The commission has said security personnel assigned to election duties would be required to take an oath of neutrality, reinforcing expectations that officers deployed for the exercise must perform their duties without favouring any candidate or political party.

The August 15 Osun governorship election is expected to attract significant attention as one of the major electoral exercises before the 2027 general election.

With concerns over vote buying, political violence, voter inducement and security neutrality, the conduct of security personnel and the ability of law enforcement agencies to respond impartially to electoral offences will be critical to the credibility of the poll.

For voters, political parties and civil society groups, the expectation is that all stakeholders will respect the rules, reject violence and allow eligible citizens to freely determine the next governor of Osun State.

Osun election: Police pledge neutrality, warn against vote buying, violence