The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), said on Monday that he hoped to bequeath to the nation “a democratic culture in which the police will not only be apolitical and impartial during the 2023 general elections, but also one in which the process will be peaceful and secure and the outcome truly reflective of the free will of the citizens.”
Buhari, according to a statement on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, spoke during the launch of the Critical Operational Assets procured by the Nigeria Police at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The statement was titled, “2023 General Elections: President Buhari Tells Police – Eyes of the Nation are on You All.”
It quoted Buhari to have told the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, that “You should be reminded of my high expectations of your leadership, particularly, in relation to the provision of requisite security that will engender not just a stable security space ahead of the general elections but also guarantee the credibility of the exercise.
“In this task, I call on the Inspector-General of Police and indeed, all law enforcement agencies that will be complementing the police in the election security process to note that the eyes of the nation and the global community will be on you all.
“Therefore, any nation that is desirous of deepening her democratic credentials and advancing the course of the rule of law must prioritise the efficiency of its police institution.”
Buhari restated his commitment to bequeathing a credible democratic culture to Nigeria.
“My pledge is to bequeath to the nation a democratic culture in which the police will not only be apolitical and impartial during the 2023 general elections, but also one in which the process will be peaceful and secure and the outcome truly reflective of the free will of the citizens,” Buhari said.
The Inspector General of Police, who spoke earlier, said that the critical assets being inaugurated were procured from the Special Presidential Intervention Fund as part of a strategic plan to stabilise the security space before, during, and after the 2023 general elections.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi, described the inauguration as part of the broad and meticulously implemented policing strategy of the Inspector-General of Police.
