Friday September 25, 2026
SituationREPORT
The 2026 Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers, CARSPO has adopted a 10-point resolution aimed at strengthening election security, intelligence-led policing, inter-agency coordination and professional accountability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The resolutions followed presentations, panel sessions and extensive contributions by participants at the three-day conference, which brought together senior police officers, security experts and other stakeholders to examine emerging security challenges and develop strategies for effective policing of the electoral cycle.
At the heart of the resolutions is a commitment by the Nigeria Police Force to develop and implement a comprehensive election-security roadmap covering the entire electoral cycle, from pre-election preparations through polling and the post-election period.
The conference recommended the establishment of an Election Security Task Force with clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, performance indicators and monitoring mechanisms to ensure effective implementation of the roadmap.
The senior police officers also resolved to adopt a “Predict, Prevent and Manage” framework for election security, leveraging historical data, current intelligence and post-election reviews to identify electoral flashpoints, anticipate threats and continuously improve operational strategies.
Under the framework, relevant election-security data would be digitised and maintained in a secure central database to enhance intelligence gathering, threat assessment and operational planning.
The conference further called for an accelerated transition to smart, digital and intelligence-led policing through the standardisation and digitisation of police processes, integration of relevant data systems and responsible deployment of artificial intelligence in investigations, crime analysis, threat detection and operational decision-making.
It, however, stressed that technology must complement, rather than replace, professional judgment, with the use of AI and other digital systems subjected to data-protection safeguards, explainability, supervisory review, auditing and human oversight.
On inter-agency cooperation, the conference called for stronger coordination through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, including joint threat assessments and exercises, clearly defined command responsibilities, common briefing standards, interoperable communication systems and coordinated rapid-response mechanisms.
It also recommended harmonising the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines for security personnel deployed for elections with the operational framework of the Nigeria Police Force.
The resolutions emphasised the need for adequate funding and timely logistical support for election-security operations, including personnel allowances, equipment, duty rotations and forward and return transportation arrangements.
Operational plans, it said, must place the protection of voters, electoral officials and election materials at the centre of security deployments, with particular attention to women, older persons and persons with disabilities.
The conference further advocated comprehensive training and retraining for election-duty personnel on electoral laws, intelligence gathering, operational protocols, political neutrality, conflict prevention, crowd management, technology and human-rights-compliant policing.
Officers found culpable of partisanship, misconduct or non-compliance with established procedures, the conference resolved, should be held accountable and appropriately sanctioned.
On public-order management, the conference called for strict adherence to the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and accountability in the use of force.
It recommended that communication, negotiation and de-escalation should be prioritised during public-order operations, while force should only be used when lawful, necessary and proportionate.
The resolutions further stipulated that personnel entrusted with firearms and other law-enforcement equipment must receive appropriate training, while every use-of-force incident should be promptly reported, documented and subjected to supervisory review.
To strengthen accountability in the electoral process, the conference called for improved investigation and prosecution of electoral offences through appropriately trained election-security investigation teams.
It also advocated stronger collaboration among the Nigeria Police Force, INEC, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and relevant prosecutorial authorities in tackling vote-buying, intimidation, electoral violence, unlawful possession of arms and other offences.
Communication was also identified as a critical component of election-security operations.
The conference resolved that police communication should be treated as both an operational and leadership responsibility, with greater emphasis on internal information flow, media relations, crisis communication and public enlightenment.
It called for timely, accurate and verified police communication, alongside mechanisms for countering election-related misinformation and providing accessible channels through which members of the public can report incidents and complaints, including official election complaints lines and contact channels maintained by Commissioners of Police.
The conference also placed emphasis on institutional leadership, personnel development and organisational reform.
It recommended the integration of emotional intelligence, ethical leadership, accountability and human-capital management into command training, while urging the Force to preserve and institutionalise lessons learned from both serving and retired officers.
It further called for improved retirement planning and transition support for personnel.
On the future of policing, the conference resolved that any decentralised policing framework adopted in the future should contain clear safeguards covering recruitment, funding, training, jurisdiction, professional standards, accountability and political neutrality.
The resolutions provide a broad operational framework for strengthening the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force to secure elections, respond to emerging threats and maintain public confidence in the electoral process.
The recommendations are expected to serve as a strategic guide for preparations towards the 2027 general elections, with emphasis on intelligence, technology, professionalism, inter-agency cooperation, human rights and accountability.
This can also be tightened into a hard-hitting front-page version with a stronger headline and a sharper lead centred on the 2027 election-security roadmap.