CARSPO 2026: Disu warns police against political bias ahead of 2027 elections

Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has warned police officers against taking sides in the 2027 general elections, saying personnel who collude with political actors or abuse their powers will be investigated and punished.

Mr Disu gave the warning on Monday in Owerri, Imo State, while addressing senior police officers at the opening of the sixth Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO 2026).

The conference, declared open on behalf of President Bola Tinubu by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, focuses on developing a roadmap for effective security management during the 2027 general elections.

The Nigeria Police Force said the three-day conference, organised in conjunction with Lenders Consult International, would bring together senior police officers, policing experts and other relevant participants to examine emerging electoral security challenges and develop strategies for safe and peaceful elections.

In his address, Mr Disu emphasised the neutrality and accountability of police officers who will be deployed for the elections.

“We protect citizens and enforce the law. We do not decide political outcomes,” he said.

“Any officer who takes sides, arrests others, colludes with political actors or appeals to power during those elections will be investigated and punished accordingly.”

Mr Disu said the police’s responsibility for election security would begin well before polling day and extend throughout the electoral cycle.

He identified intelligence gathering, planning, training, protection of electoral personnel and materials, violence prevention, and rapid response as critical components of the police’s preparations.

“We must prepare before the crisis, not during the crisis,” he said.

Mr Disu said commissioners of police would be expected to identify electoral flashpoints and criminal networks in their respective areas of responsibility while strengthening early-warning systems and ensuring that credible intelligence from communities reaches police commands promptly.

In an earlier announcement about CARSPO 2026, the police authorities said deliberations would focus on intelligence-led policing, police-community partnerships, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and other contemporary approaches to strengthening police operations before, during, and after elections.

Mr Disu also warned politicians and their supporters against acts capable of undermining the electoral process.

“To politicians and their supporters, my message is simple: Compete with ideas, not with force.”

He warned against hiring mobs, buying arms, threatening political opponents or electoral officials and engaging in other forms of electoral violence.

“The police will act against anyone who does that, whatever their status,” he said.

The police chief further said arresting electoral offenders would not be the end of the process, insisting that those arrested must face prosecution.

Police to strengthen election preparedness

Mr Disu outlined six areas that will guide the Force’s election-security preparations: intelligence and early-warning systems; training and preparedness; joint command and inter-agency coordination; effective communication and technology; partnership with communities; and neutrality.

He said police officers would receive training in crowd management, protection of electoral personnel and materials, conflict prevention, rapid response and human-rights-based policing.

He specifically directed that women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities receive adequate protection during the elections.

The inspector-general of police also said the Force would work with other security agencies to establish clear lines of command and communication for election operations.

Technology, he added, would be used to facilitate real-time reporting, situational awareness and rapid response.

Police to tackle election disinformation

Mr Disu also identified misinformation and inflammatory online content as potential triggers of electoral violence.

“Inflammatory videos can spark violence before we arrive. We will monitor and counter election disinformation quickly, correcting the facts and preventing violence online,” he said.

He said the Force would also strengthen partnerships with traditional and religious leaders, youths, civil society organisations, the media and ordinary citizens, who he said could provide early warnings about emerging tensions.

He said the recent Osun governorship election would provide lessons for the Force ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“It (Osun election) was largely peaceful, but we saw isolated incidents and some operational challenges,” he said, urging police commanders to examine where intelligence, response, training or communication had fallen short.

Tinubu pledges support for police

Declaring the conference open on behalf of President Tinubu, Mr Akume reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting the Force in preparing for the 2027 elections.

He said support would include training, technology, operational logistics, personnel welfare and institutional reforms, while stressing the need for professionalism, impartiality, intelligence-led operations and effective coordination among security agencies.

The conference theme is, “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections”.

Welcoming participants, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma expressed delight that the state was hosting CARSPO for the third time and commended the Force for sustaining the conference as a platform for strategic engagement on contemporary security challenges.

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He said: “The quality of the 2027 elections will depend, to a great extent, on whether we can adequately secure the electoral process. The police have secured many elections before now, and the senior officers gathered here understand the pressures that come with that responsibility.

“There will be flashpoints to identify and monitor, sensitive materials to protect, and electoral officials to keep safe. There will also be voters, candidates and communities whose safety must be guaranteed throughout the electoral process.”

The opening ceremony was attended by senior government and police officials, including the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, represented by Patrick Ndubueze; Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs, Abubakar Yalleman, represented by Dibiagwu Eugene Okechukwu; and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, represented by Adigwe A. Nwamaka.

The conference is scheduled to run from 21 to 23 September.

Mr Disu concluded his charge to police officers with four words which he said should guide their conduct during the electoral cycle: “Neutral, prepared, present, accountable.”