Osun Poll: IGP Explains CP’s Exit, Deploys 14,692 Officers

The Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Tunji Disu has explained that the Commissioner of Police in Osun State Ibrahim Gotan, was directed to step aside ahead of the August 15 governorship election to reinforce public confidence and guarantee a transparent electoral process, following complaints from political parties over the command’s neutrality.

Disu said the decision was not a disciplinary measure against the Commissioner of Police but a proactive step by the Nigeria Police Force to assure stakeholders of its impartiality, adding that the Electoral Commissioner of Police CP Samuel Erale Etaifo had already taken charge of election security in the state while the Assistant Inspector-General overseeing elections would also assume duties.

The IGP disclosed the measures on Friday in Abuja during a meeting with civil society organisations on election security in Osun State. The delegation was led by the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Mr. Samson Itodo.

He said the police had moved swiftly after observing rising political violence in the state, noting that security intelligence linked much of the unrest to rival cult groups allegedly associated with political actors.

According to him, officers were deployed early while he personally visited Osun to engage political parties, students and parents on the need to prevent violence before the election.

“During my visit, I had meetings with political parties. And at the same time, we deployed teams earlier, when we noticed the increase in violence. And for the first time, we deployed the Electoral Commissioner, who is taking charge of the elections, earlier than usual when we noticed that certain groups of politicians or parties have been complaining that they no longer trust the Commissioner of Police. So the Commissioner of Police was asked to stand aside, while the Electoral Commissioner of Police took over. And then the AIG, in charge of elections, will be moving in any moment.”

Disu also announced what could be one of the largest police deployments for a single off-cycle governorship election, revealing that the Force intends to station at least four officers at each of the state’s 3,673 polling units.

With 30 local government areas and 332 wards, he said the deployment would amount to at least 14,692 police officers, excluding personnel from other security agencies supporting the operation.

He said, “A great number of officers have been deployed to Osun. I’m sure you know that we have 30 local governments. We have 332 wards. And the polling units are 3,673. So it’s a very large number of units. Larger than the last election we conducted in Ekiti State.”

He added, “We deployed just like we did in the Ekiti State election. But in the Osun case, we are deploying more than that. The number of officers we have deployed is huge.

“But we took into consideration the tension that the election is generating. And the fact that we have 3,673 polling units. We intend to have not less than four policemen in all the polling units.”

Disu further disclosed that senior officers assigned to the election would not know their specific local government areas until the eve of the poll or on election day to prevent politicians from influencing or compromising security personnel.

He said the Force had received intelligence that political actors were making efforts to identify officers posted to specific areas, prompting the police to continually review deployment plans.

“Everybody looks up to us now. The senior officers that have been deployed for that election have been noted down. We have their names.

“I have approved this. But so far, they do not know the local governments they will work in until probably the day or a day before they are deployed to this area. Because we notice politicians are making frantic efforts to identify who will be coming to this local government or that local government.

“In some instances that we notice, we feel that we have been compromised. We have made changes. And we are still going to make changes till the day the election is going to start” Disu noted

Disu maintained that the Nigeria Police Force would remain neutral throughout the election, describing the poll as a critical test of the Force’s professionalism ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He warned officers against compromising the electoral process, saying any personnel found guilty of misconduct would face disciplinary action.

The IGP also appealed to parents to discourage their children from participating in election-related violence, stressing that no political contest was worth the loss of any life.

He recalled meeting parents during his visit to Osun and urging them not to allow their children to be used as “cannon fodder” by politicians.

Disu further cautioned political parties, candidates and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after the election, warning that anyone who violates the Electoral Act or other laws would be prosecuted.

He added that politicians and other individuals would not be permitted to move around with police escorts during the election as part of measures to guarantee a level playing field.

Earlier, the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Mr. Samson Itodo, who led the civil society delegation, urged the Nigeria Police Force to sustain professionalism and transparency in securing the Osun governorship election, describing the poll as critical to public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.