Lagos Police Chief At City Boy Movement Event

Some issues are very difficult to rationalise, and the attendance of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, at the inauguration of the Lagos State chapter of the City Boy Movement is one of them.

The video of Fatai, which has since gone viral, showed him exchanging pleasantries with members of the Movement, a group solely dedicated to the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

When the head of one of the leading security agencies attended an event hosted by a group supporting one of the candidates ahead of the general election, as Fatai did, he exposed himself to public scrutiny. No amount of gaslighting can change that fact.

Like most Nigerians, we wonder why Fatai was at the event. The fact that there is no record of CP Fatai’s attendance at political events organised by other parties further reinforced concerns and allegations of possible bias.

One possible conclusion from the police commissioner’s presence is that he has become partisan. And that is not good at all for the force as an institution and for Fatai, who has built years of service in the Nigerian police force.

Elections in Nigeria are often marked by widespread allegations of rigging, frequently aided by security operatives. Indeed, one security agency that has been repeatedly accused of allowing its personnel to be used to sabotage the will of the electorate during every election cycle is the police.

In each election cycle, accusations of police involvement in rigging often follow the declaration of election results. It is so severe that some police officers assigned to polling units are accused of thumb-printing ballot papers and stuffing them into ballot boxes in favour of the ruling political parties.

In the lead-up to the 2027 general elections, most Nigerians, especially opposition members who have consistently accused the ruling party of silencing the opposition, continue to express doubt about free, fair, and credible polls that are free from outright rigging and other irregularities, which have been the defining features of most elections in Nigeria.

The last thing a police commissioner should do is act in ways that justify the opposition’s fears. By attending the City Boy Movement’s event, Fatai has done exactly that. He has indeed cast doubt in the minds of the opposition regarding his ability to carry out his duties fairly during the election.

Curiously, while the backlash against CP Fatai’s attendance continues, neither the Lagos command of the Nigerian Police nor the Force Headquarters in Abuja sees fit to allay the opposition’s fears by issuing a statement explaining why the CP had to be physically present. It is either that the police consider it not an issue worthy of their attention or that they have little regard for the feelings of the citizens who have genuinely raised concerns about the attendance. Either way, this is not good for the Police image as we head into an election.

As it is often said, it is better late than never. The police owe Nigerians an explanation. CP Fatai’s attendance cannot be wished away as if it were a normal occurrence. No. It is not.

We condemn CP Fatai’s attendance, especially the exchange of pleasantries as captured in the now-viral video, which portrays him as sympathetic to the Movement and, by extension, to the political party it represents. That act demonstrates a clear lack of professionalism from a senior police officer of his stature.

Perhaps the Nigerian police should organise refresher training for its officers and personnel on how to conduct themselves during elections, as we approach another election cycle.

It is instructive to suggest also that, as the political parties commence their campaigns, the Inspector-General of Police and other heads of security agencies must caution their officers and personnel against actions that might give the impression of bias.

Beyond merely warning, as they have done over the years, the security agencies must ensure that punitive measures are enforced against those found wanting. Elections must not only be free and fair, but must also be seen to be free, fair, and credible. Ensuring this requires the actors involved, such as security operatives and INEC, to perform their roles as professionally as possible.