Details emerge as IGP reacts to alleged role of police officers in election rigging

• The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has dismissed allegations of predetermination manipulation by information agencies, describing them arsenic unfounded and unjustified
• Egbetokun emphasised the police's committedness to impartiality during elections, solely focusing connected ensuring information and maintaining order
• Dr. Kletsaint Akor cautioned that ideology hinges connected credible elections, stressing that legitimacy is important for its endurance and calling for reforms to boost electoral credibility

FCT Abuja - The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has dismissed allegations of predetermination manipulation by information agencies, describing them arsenic unfounded and unjustified.

At the 3rd National Democracy Stakeholders Summit successful Abuja connected Monday, June 3, Egbetokun emphasised the force's committedness to impartiality during elections, stating they play nary portion successful ballot counting oregon result manipulation.

Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has dismissed allegations of predetermination manipulation by information agencies, describing them arsenic unfounded and unjustified. Photo credit: @PoliceNG
Source: Twitter

The constabulary chief, according to a study by The Punch, was represented by FCT Commissioner of Police Adewale Alao, emphasised that officers' duties during elections are strictly confined to ensuring information and maintaining order, with nary broader mandate.

“The thought that the constabulary are progressive successful rigging is axenic imagination.“We are not partisans—we are not umpires. We don’t number votes; we lone show the process portion INEC does the collation,” Egbetokun said.

The remarks travel amid lingering controversies from the 2023 wide election, wherever some the absorption and the ruling All Progressives Congress accused each other—and predetermination stakeholders—of complicity successful wide irregularities.

Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has dismissed allegations of predetermination manipulation by information agencies, describing them arsenic unfounded and unjustified. Photo credit: @PoliceNG
Source: Twitter

2023 statesmanlike predetermination result

Legit.ng antecedently reported successful 2023 that Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious successful the statesmanlike race, securing 36.61% of the votes (8,794,726 votes). He triumphed implicit Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 29.07% (6,984,520 votes), and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who received 25.40% (6,101,533 votes).

The predetermination was marred by controversies, including allegations of electoral irregularities and challenges to Tinubu's qualifications. Opposition candidates contested the results, citing issues with the electoral process and Tinubu's world credentials. However, some the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court dismissed these challenges, upholding Tinubu's election.

BVAS and IReV: Technological innovations and challenges

BVAS and IReV: Technological innovations and challenges.s The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) introduced the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal to heighten the credibility of the electoral process. BVAS was designed to verify voters' identities done fingerprints oregon facial recognition, portion IReV aimed to supply real-time entree to polling portion results.

Despite these innovations, the elections faced important logistical challenges. There were reports of BVAS malfunctions, delayed effect uploads, and instances wherever polling officials arrived precocious oregon were absent. These issues led to nationalist outcry and raised concerns astir the effectiveness of the caller technologies successful ensuring a transparent electoral process.

Obi, Atiku's predetermination rigging allegation

Both Atiku and Obi rejected the results, citing violence, ballot suppression, and monolithic rigging during abstracted post-election property briefings.

But Egbetokun stressed that the constabulary were perpetually moving to physique professionalism done collaboration and capacity-building.

“We person renewed inter-agency synergy, including with INEC, civilian nine organisations, and the media.“Our officers are undergoing continuous grooming to support them aligned with antiauthoritarian standards. I judge the results are becoming evident successful off-cycle elections,” helium said.

Egbetokun besides addressed increasing calls for the Federal Government to assistance citizens the close to carnivore arms, informing that specified a argumentation would escalate unit alternatively than curb it.

“You can’t lick unit with violence. The solution lies successful dialogue, tolerance, and communal surveillance. Armed citizenry volition lone compound our information challenges,” helium said.

He stressed that Nigeria indispensable larn from the experiences of different countries wherever specified policies had failed to bring peace.

“Insecurity is simply a planetary crisis, and Nigeria is having its just share. The reply is collaboration, not much weapons connected the streets,” helium added.

Dr. Kletsaint Akor's remark

At the summit, Dr. Kletsaint Akor, Chairman of the Proponent Council of the Nigeria Democracy Stakeholders Group, cautioned that Nigeria's ideology hinges connected credible elections, stressing that legitimacy is important for its survival. ival

According to him, though innovations similar BVAS and physics effect transmission were designed to boost electoral credibility, their flawed execution successful the 2023 elections eroded nationalist confidence. ence

“Elections are not endpoints; they are introduction points. Without electoral legitimacy, governance becomes performative alternatively than productive.“We indispensable institutionalise reforms—granting INEC backing autonomy, ensuring transparent assignment of commissioners, and enforcing consequences for malpractice,” helium added.

The caput to the authorities of the federation's remark

Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, commended President Tinubu's medication for pushing done captious reforms amidst economical challenges and precocious nationalist expectations

Represented by Nadungu Gagare, Permanent Secretary for Economic and Political Affairs, Akume emphasised that the mid-term reappraisal indispensable beryllium much than a formality, serving alternatively arsenic a genuine workout successful antiauthoritarian transparency and accountability.

“In conscionable 2 years, this medication has prioritised reforms crossed captious sectors.“These interventions are laying the instauration for semipermanent nationalist stableness and inclusive growth,” helium said.

Netizens' absorption connected X

Reacting to this, disgruntled Nigerians took to their X relationship to condemn the Inspector-General of constabulary statements.

An X idiosyncratic @BGMAMMAN44

The hold of his tenure unsocial is capable grounds that the existent authorities intends to usage the constabulary successful manipulating the result of the elections successful 2027.

@i_am_audu

Security agencies, particularly the constabulary are the enablers successful astir cases of electorial fraud and electoral violence. If they're escorts to politicians and governmental thugs who transportation retired these violence, they're utilized to straight sn*tch ballot boxes and scare voters away. AllegedlyThe IG can't contradict that helium hasn't seen video grounds of these atrocities perpetuated by immoderate of his men....

@mrcabasa

"He knows the allegation is true. But helium Just has to play to the gallery. #shameless"

@BISHOP85149792

"With evidences everyplace showing however they were moving ballot papers,and protecting those those they were expected to beryllium warring from stealing the ballot papers.some that were adjacent caught were realised portion the guiltless ones went to prison.I conscionable convey God that we are each successful it"

@Emperor_furbo

"Not wholly baseless!"Security operatives play a pivotal relation successful ensuring the successes & creaseless behaviour of elections, nationwide."However, the bony of contention's been that: immoderate disgruntled officers let themselves to beryllium utilized arsenic pawns by politicians, during the elections."

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Source: Legit.ng