Posted by Chinenye on Wed 23rd Sep, 2026 - tori.ng
Nigeria's police chief, Tunji Disu, has warned politicians not to use thugs, violence, weapons or money to influence voters during the 2027 elections.
(Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu. Photo Credit: Blueprint News)
The top police officer in Nigeria said police will not allow politicians to hire thugs or buy votes during the 2027 elections.
Tunji Disu, the Inspector-General of Police, gave this warning on Monday at a conference in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.
Disu said that when people do bad things and nothing happens to them, it encourages others to do the same bad things.
He said this is why the police will punish anyone who breaks the election rules.
He told politicians that they should compete against each other using their ideas, not by using thugs or violence.
He said politicians should not hire mobs to cause trouble, should not pay people to vote for them, should not bring weapons to elections and should not threaten voters or election workers.
Disu said the police will take action against anyone who does these things, no matter how important or powerful they are.
He said being arrested is not enough.
He said the police will work together with the election commission, the anti-corruption agencies and prosecutors to investigate and take anyone to court who breaks the election laws.
He said anyone arrested for election crimes will face trial in court, not just see their name in the news.
Disu told Nigerian people to go out and vote peacefully. He asked them to report any wrongdoing they see.
The police chief also explained a plan with six main parts that will guide what the police do during the elections.
The six parts are better ways to find out about problems before they happen, training police officers well, working together with other security agencies, using good communication and technology, working with communities, and staying completely fair and neutral.