Police, INEC, Judiciary pledge fair play as 2027 electioneering begins

Police, INEC, Judiciary pledge fair play as 2027 electioneering begins The Nigeria Police Force, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Judiciary have pledged to ensure a level playing field and strict enforcement of electoral laws as electioneering for the 2027 governorship and House of Assembly elections commences nationwide on September 9, 2026. The commitment was made at a stakeholders' engagement themed: 'Towards a Peaceful, Credible and Inclusive Electioneering Process,' held at the Auditorium of Waziri Umar Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi, on Monday. The Kebbi State Police Command organised the event in compliance with a directive from the Inspector-General of Police. The Commissioner of Police, CP Umar M. Hadejia, assured political parties, candidates and other stakeholders of equal protection throughout the electoral process. 'No party, no candidate, and no citizen will be favoured or discriminated against. The law will be applied fairly to all,' he said. Hadejia cited security challenges arising from Kebbi's international borders with Benin Republic and Niger Republic, as well as its boundaries with Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger states. He urged political parties to notify the police at least 48 hours before organising political activities and warned against hate speech, vote-buying, intimidation and digital thuggery. The commissioner also said relevant provisions of the Cybercrimes Act and Electoral Act 2022 would be strictly enforced. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar S/Fawa Dambo, outlined key dates in the electoral timetable, stating that party primaries would hold from April 23 to May 30, 2026, while nomination would run from June 27 to August 8, 2026. He said the elections were scheduled for January 16 and February 6, 2027, and cautioned political actors against hate speech and violations of campaign spending limits. The Chief Judge, represented by Justice Muhammad Nuradeen, assured stakeholders that the courts would adjudicate pre-election matters and prosecute electoral offences. Also speaking, the state Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Alhaji Nasiru Karofi, called for issue-based campaigns and grassroots sensitisation to address voter apathy. Candidates of various political parties, traditional rulers, party leaders, civil society organisations and media representatives attended the engagement.