Unreformed Nigeria Police Is A Threat To 2027 Elections – Civil Society
As the 2027 general election in Nigeria becomes a major national concern, a civil society organisation is drawing attention to what could compromise effective and trustworthy policing at the election.
At a dialogue organised by the Rule of Law And Empowerment initiative in Abuja on Wednesday, the Executive Director of Partners West Africa Nigeria PWAN, Kemi Okenyodo said the delay in gazetting revised Police Regulations undermines the letter and spirit of the Police Act 2020.
She said the regulations are not a routine administrative exercise, but a legal and governance obligation that gives the police Act its legitimacy.
The revised regulations, developed through a clause-by-clause review, remove all discriminatory provisions, embed gender equality, and incorporate practices such as police duty solicitors, case management systems, and anti-torture safeguards.
Okenyodo described the regulations as “the Bible of the police,” forming the basis for force orders and standard operating procedures.
With elections on the horizon, civil society leaders at the Abuja dialogue warned that leaving the force governed by outdated rules risks deepening mistrust.
The Ministry of Police Affairs has promised periodic reviews once the revised regulations are gazetted. But for civil society, the current delay is more than a bureaucratic bottleneck, it is a threat to Nigeria’s security.
It also undermines the credibility of the police reforms.
