Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has strongly denied allegations that the police encourage election manipulation in the country.

Speaking at the third National Democracy Stakeholders Summit in Abuja on Monday, described the allegation as unfair and baseless, adding that the police would continue to remain impartial during elections.

Represented by the Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory, Adewale Ajaodun, the IGP added that the police would not, under any circumstances, deviate from their primary roles of maintaining law and order during the electoral process, emphasising that the police neither count votes nor officiate as umpires.

“The idea that the police are involved in rigging is pure imagination.

“We are not partisans—we are not umpires. We don’t count votes; we only monitor the process while INEC does the collation of results,” Egbetokun clarified.

Recall the opposition and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) accused each other of using the police to carry out widespread irregularities during the 2023 general election, as [residential candidates Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar rejected the results, citing massive rigging during separate post-election press briefings.

Egbetokun revealed that its officers are undergoing continuous training to keep them aligned with democratic standards, and now operate with renewed inter-agency synergy, including with INEC, civil society organisations, and the media.

“We have renewed inter-agency synergy, including with INEC, civil society organisations, and the media.

“Our officers are undergoing continuous training to keep them aligned with democratic standards. I believe the results are becoming evident in off-cycle elections,” he said.