2027 Elections: Lagos Police Urge Political Parties to Notify Command Before Rallies
Kehinde Adeleye
The Lagos State Police Command has urged political parties to notify it ahead of planned rallies, campaigns, processions and other political activities as preparations for the 2027 general elections begin to gather momentum.
The Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, said advance notification would enable the command to put adequate security arrangements in place and deploy officers to protect participants and members of the public.
Fatai made the appeal in a statement issued on Sunday by the command’s spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, and published on X.
He assured political parties, candidates and their supporters that the police would provide security for their activities without discrimination or favouritism.
However, he warned that the command would not tolerate actions capable of disrupting public peace or causing a breakdown of law and order.
The police commissioner cautioned that political parties that failed to notify the command or disregarded established security arrangements, resulting in a breach of public peace, would be held accountable under the law.
He also recalled a security meeting held on October 15, during which political parties and other relevant stakeholders were urged to cooperate with security agencies and comply with safety guidelines ahead of the elections.
The police appeal comes against the backdrop of the command’s statutory responsibility to maintain law and order during political activities.
Section 91 of the Electoral Act 2022 requires the police to provide adequate security for the peaceful conduct of rallies and processions while guaranteeing registered political parties, aspirants and candidates the right to organise lawful political gatherings.
Fatai urged political parties to work closely with the command to ensure that political activities across Lagos State are conducted peacefully without violence or disruption.
However, the call for advance notification does not mean political parties must obtain police permits before holding rallies or other political gatherings.
Existing court decisions have established that political parties do not require police permits to organise rallies, while protesters are equally not required to obtain police approval before staging peaceful demonstrations.
