Monday, September 21, 2026 - President Bola Tinubu has threatened to sack any police officers involved in unprofessional conduct in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.
Tinubu issued the warning on Monday at the 2026 Conference
and Retreat for Senior Police Officers in Owerri, Imo State.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation SGF, George Akume, the President charged officers to uphold
the highest standards of professionalism and impartiality in the discharge of
their duties.
According to the President, every Nigerian, irrespective of
political affiliation, ethnicity, religion, social status or geographical
location, must feel protected by the Police, stressing that the neutrality and
professionalism of the Force are fundamental to public confidence and the
credibility of the nation’s democracy.
“The police must be seen not as an instrument of any
political interest, but as a national institution serving the Nigerian people
and protecting the constitutional order. This is fundamental to public trust
and to the credibility of our democracy,” the President said.
Tinubu said the 2027 elections would require careful
preparation, professionalism, impartiality, intelligence-led operations and
close coordination among security and electoral stakeholders, and assured that
the Federal Government would provide the necessary support to enable the Force
to effectively discharge its responsibilities.
The President explained that securing the electoral process
goes beyond protecting ballot papers and polling stations, noting that it also
entails protecting citizens, electoral officials and materials, ensuring
peaceful campaigns, preventing violence and intimidation, and guaranteeing that
Nigerians can participate in the democratic process without fear.
Tinubu reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to
ongoing police reforms, stressing that meaningful reform requires sustained
investment in personnel, training, technology, intelligence infrastructure,
operational logistics, welfare and institutional systems.
He urged the Force to strengthen intelligence gathering,
improve response times, deepen community engagement, embrace technology and
enhance inter-agency cooperation to meet increasingly sophisticated security
threats.
The President commended the Inspector General of Police, IGP
Olatunji Rilwan Disu, and the Police Management Team for efforts to reposition
the Force and respond to emerging security challenges, while acknowledging the
sacrifices of officers confronting kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, armed
robbery, cultism and other violent crimes across the country, including those
who have paid the ultimate price.
He, however, reminded the Force that the security
expectations of Nigerians remain high, urging officers to continue building
public confidence through discipline, accountability, professionalism and
respect for the rights and dignity of citizens.
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