The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has issued a stern warning to officers deployed for Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, declaring that any policeman found rigging the election or compromising the integrity of the poll will be publicly punished.
Disu issued the warning on Friday during a security briefing ahead of the election, as political tension heightened across the state amid growing concerns over vote-buying, voter intimidation, electoral violence and the possible manipulation of the electoral process.
The police chief also raised concerns over the activities of cult groups in Osun State, alleging that political actors had exploited the groups and actively encouraged their proliferation in an attempt to influence the electoral process.
“We knew the Osun election would take this direction because of two major problems,” Disu said, noting that security agencies had recorded cases of cultism in the state.
According to him, political parties had taken active steps to strengthen cult groups within the state, while security agencies had continued to monitor the situation and would remain on alert throughout the election period.
Addressing the officers deployed for election duties, the IGP warned them against allowing political interests to compromise their professional responsibilities.
“Every police officer deployed to Osun State for the upcoming governorship election should carry out their duties diligently. Any officer who helps to rig the election or compromises the electoral process in Osun will be punished publicly,” he declared.
Disu urged the officers not to sacrifice their careers for political interests, reminding them that their responsibilities extended to protecting the electorate and preserving the integrity of the democratic process.
“I got complaints from those people to arrest. Do not take part in anything unlawful. Your jobs are precious to us. We have dependent families and children,” he said.
The IGP also insisted that the Nigeria Police Force would not shield officers who engage in misconduct, stressing that the force was continuing its efforts to sanitise its ranks.
“We are not hiding police officers that misbehave, and Nigerian officers know the punishment for compromising,” he stated.
The warning comes against the backdrop of allegations of widespread vote-buying and voter intimidation ahead of the election.
Earlier, allegations emerged that some residents of Osun State, mostly women, were allegedly paid ₦10,000 each and compelled to swear a Bible oath to vote for Governor Ademola Adeleke.
A viral video reported by SaharaReporters purportedly showed the residents receiving cash before being led through an oath-taking exercise allegedly organised by individuals identified as loyalists of the governor.
The women were reportedly made to pledge their votes to the incumbent governor while invoking biblical blessings upon themselves if they honoured the pledge and curses if they failed to do so.
The allegation has generated widespread concern over the use of money, religious pressure and intimidation to influence voters ahead of the poll. However, the claims remain allegations and have not been independently established.
The election has also been overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the freezing of Osun State Government bank accounts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over an investigation into the alleged diversion of approximately ₦11 billion in public funds.
The development assumed a new political dimension on Thursday when President Bola Tinubu directed the EFCC to take immediate steps to vacate the court order freezing the state government’s accounts.
Although the President acknowledged that the EFCC acted within its legal powers, he expressed concern that the timing of the action could create the perception that federal institutions were being used to influence the electoral process.
With the police leadership now threatening public punishment for officers who compromise the ballot, allegations of vote-buying and voter coercion hanging over the campaign, and controversy surrounding the EFCC action, Saturday’s Osun governorship election is shaping up as a major test of Nigeria’s electoral institutions.
Beyond the battle for the Osun Government House, the election will test whether security agencies can maintain neutrality, whether voters can exercise their franchise without coercion, and whether the ballot will ultimately reflect the genuine will of the people.