IGP rejected the role of the police in election fraud, urged to focus on reform, dialogue

Police Inspector General, Kayode Egbetokun, has rejected the accusation that the security institution, especially the police, manipulated the results of the election in Nigeria.

Speaking at the third National Democratic Stakeholder Summit held in Abuja on Monday, the police chief described the claimless claim and damaged the credibility of security institutions.

Egbetokun, represented at the event by the Police Commissioner for the Federal Capital Region, Adewale AJAO, stressed that the Nigerian Police remain a neutral entity during the election, with limited responsibilities to ensure peace and protect the election infrastructure.

“The idea that the police are involved in fraud is pure imagination,” he said. “We are not partisan, we are not referees. We don’t count the votes; we only monitor the process when Inec is collapse.”

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The comment came against the background of suspicion and continuous public tension after the 2023 Nigerian general election, where the vast accusations of votes, fraud, and violence dominated national discourse. Candidate All Progressives Congress (APC), the Ahmed Tinubu ball, emerged as the winner with 8,794,726 votes, in front of the Atiku Democratic Party of the Abubakar Party and Peter Obi from the Labor Party, which collected 6,984,520 and 6,101.5333333333333333333.33 votes respectively.

The two opposition candidates reject the results, accusing the election malpractice and questioning the integrity of the process.

Egbetokun acknowledged public concerns but stated that the police had experienced an institutional reform aimed at strengthening democratic professionalism and accountability.

“We have updated synergy between agencies, including with Inec, civil society organizations, and the media,” he explained. “Our officers are undergoing ongoing training to keep them in line with democratic standards. I believe the results are clear in elections outside the cycle.”

Turning to the increasingly polarized debate about weapons ownership, IGP Egbetokun warned the encouragement to liberalize the law of weapons ownership. While some citizens argue that the right to carry weapons as a means of self-protection, Egbetokun warns that such steps can be backfire.

“You cannot resolve violence with violence,” he said. “The solution lies in dialogue, tolerance, and reciprocal supervision. Armed citizens will only add to our security challenges.”

He urged the Nigerians to learn from global examples in which arming civilians failed to produce lasting peace.

“Insurance is a global crisis, and Nigeria has a fair part. The answer is collaboration, not more weapons on the streets,” he added.