Police Not Involved in Election Rigging, We Don’t Count Votes, INEC Does The Collation – Says IGP
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that in a stance to clarify the security agencies names off false election results manipulation, the Inspector-General of police, Kayode Egbetokun, has claimed that security agencies did not manipulate any election outcomes in Nigeria, adding that the agencies don’t count votes; that they only monitor the process while INEC does the collation.
OTN News further reports that the inspector general of police, who, was represented by the Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory, Adewale Ajao, while speaking at the third National Democracy Stakeholders Summit in Abuja on Monday, said that such allegations are baseless and unfair.
According to him, the police remain impartial actors during electoral exercises, with no role in determining or influencing vote counts.
Furthermore, he clarified that the role of officers during elections is strictly limited to maintaining order and securing the process.
He said, “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.
OTN News observes that the remarks come amid lingering controversies from the 2023 general elections, where both the oppositions and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, accused each other, and election stakeholders of complicity in widespread irregularities.
Subsequently, Egbetokun stressed that the police are 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.
Furthermore, the inspector general of police, who also addressed growing calls for the Federal Government to grant citizens the right to bear arms, warned that such a policy would escalate violence rather than curb it.
According to him, “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 emphasised that Nigeria must learn from the experiences of other countries where such policies have failed to bring peace.
“Insecurity is a global crisis, and Nigeria is having its fair share. The answer is collaboration, not more weapons on the streets,” he added.
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