Fear Of Electoral Violence Is Perception, Not Reality – Police

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has described concerns linking voter apathy to insecurity as largely a matter of perception, insisting that extensive measures were being put in place to guarantee violence-free elections ahead of the 2027 general polls.

This position was stated by the Commissioner of Police in charge of Election Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, CP Yomi Shogunle, on Monday, during an interview on ARISE News Channel while reacting to a report by civil society organisation, Yiaga Africa, which identified fear of electoral violence as a major factor influencing voter participation.

“I was actually present at the presentation of this report in Abuja last week, and I’ve read through the report,” Shogunle said. “Let me state here that it is more of a perception than reality. Irrespective of anywhere there’s human interaction, there’s always the need to up the game on provision of security.”

According to him, the report did not conclusively establish a direct link between insecurity and low voter turnout, urging caution against what he described as an attempt to “link things together.”

“There is nowhere in the report that it has been drawn that low participation or insecurity has anything to do with low participation,” he said.

Shogunle noted that the Nigeria Police Force remains the lead agency for election security and is deploying its full capacity to ensure peaceful polls.

“The Nigerian Police Force is putting all its strength out to provide adequate security during the election,” he stated. “A lot is being done regarding training of police officers, acquisition of logistics, and ensuring that we have elections that are free of violence.”

He added that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, was particularly focused on delivering violence-free elections nationwide.

Citing recent off-cycle polls, Shogunle pointed to the November 2024 Anambra State governorship election as evidence of improved security outcomes.

“The Anambra governorship election was adjudged one of the most peaceful elections so far in Nigeria. As a matter of fact, we recorded zero violence during this election,” he said, attributing the outcome to “deliberate planning and execution.”

On allegations of police complicity and failure to act during election-related violence in previous polls, Shogunle said arrests and prosecutions of electoral offenders were ongoing across states.

“In Kano State, over 300 electoral violators were prosecuted,” he said. “In Kogi State, people were also prosecuted and even convicted.”

Addressing Lagos State, where widespread violence and voter intimidation were reported during the 2023 elections, Shogunle disclosed that “over 17 people were arrested and taken to court,” adding that official records were available to support the claim.

He outlined the police election security framework as covering three phases: pre-election, election day, and post-election periods, noting that threat assessments are conducted at community, local government, and state levels ahead of polls.

“We carry out threat analysis community by community, local government by local government, state by state,” he said.
“This allows us to go before those planning to disrupt the process.”

Shogunle also identified key operational challenges facing the police during elections, including difficult terrains and poor communication networks.

“Deployment into difficult-to-reach terrains like riverine and mountainous areas is a major challenge,” he said. “Another challenge is communication, as networks are often overwhelmed on election days.”

Despite these challenges, he assured Nigerians that the police would replicate the Anambra model in upcoming elections, including the FCT Area Council polls and governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.

“The Nigerian Police Force will continue to do all that is needed to ensure violence-free elections,” Shogunle said.

Meanwhile, Yiaga Africa, in its National Voting Intentions Survey Round 1, reported that only 45 per cent of Nigerians have confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct credible elections ahead of 2027.

The survey, conducted between December 1 and 5, 2025, polled 1,500 respondents nationwide across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory through telephone interviews.

Despite the low confidence in INEC, the organisation noted strong voter interest, with 77 per cent of respondents saying they were likely or very likely to vote in 2027. However, it warned that enthusiasm could be undermined by widespread insecurity and fear of electoral violence, urging security agencies to deploy comprehensive election security frameworks, particularly in high-risk areas.