The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has approved the continued deployment of police officers to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), notwithstanding President Bola Tinubu’s earlier directive ordering the withdrawal of police security personnel from VIPs and government officials.
Documents obtained and circulated online on Wednesday indicate that the approval grants INEC officials an exemption from the withdrawal order.
The affected officials include National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), the Acting Director-General of the Electoral Institute, and INEC directors across the country.
The approval was communicated in an official letter dated January 8, 2026, with reference number CB:2032/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.5/45.
The letter, signed by the Principal Staff Officer to the IGP, CP Lateef Adio Ahmed, was titled “Appeal for Exemption from Order to Withdraw Police Security Personnel Attached to VIPs.”
According to the correspondence, the decision followed a formal request submitted by INEC on December 11, 2025. The letter acknowledged receipt of the appeal and confirmed that the IGP had granted the exemption.
“I am to notify you that the Inspector-General of Police has graciously approved the request contained in the letter under reference,” the letter stated, while conveying the IGP’s assurances and regards.
President Tinubu had earlier instructed the Nigeria Police Force to withdraw officers assigned to VIPs and public officials as part of a broader reform aimed at curbing the misuse of police personnel and improving security at the grassroots level.
The directive was widely understood to apply across government institutions, with exemptions expected only for offices explicitly protected by the Constitution.
However, the IGP’s latest approval signals a formal exception for INEC, citing the Commission’s unique role in Nigeria’s democratic process.
INEC Confirms Exemption
INEC confirmed the development in a statement issued on January 19, 2026, and signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr Rose Oriaran-Anthony.
She disclosed that the Commission had written to the IGP in December to request an exemption from the withdrawal order.
According to the statement, the appeal was based on the sensitive and high-risk nature of INEC’s constitutional responsibilities, particularly election administration, as well as past incidents involving attacks on electoral officials and Commission facilities.
“The Commission had, in a letter dated 11th December 2025, appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to exempt it from the order to withdraw police security personnel attached to VIPs,” the statement read. “The request was informed by the sensitive nature of the Commission’s duties and the history of attacks on its officials and facilities.”
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The confirmation effectively establishes INEC as one of the few institutions granted continued police protection under the current security policy, despite the president’s broader directive.
