As preparations intensify for the successful conduct of the 2027 General Elections, the Ogun State Police Command has scheduled a security stakeholders’ workshop for September 22–23, 2026.
The state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, is scheduled to declare the workshop open and deliver a keynote address, after which veteran lawyer and public relations expert, Professor Fassy Adetokunboh Yusuf, will deliver the lead paper.
About 520 stakeholders drawn from across the state are expected to participate in the training. They include Divisional Police Officers; zonal and area commanders; representatives of the Police Community Relations Committees; the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Amotekun Corps; So-Safe Corps; vigilante groups; the Department of State Services (DSS); the Nigeria Customs Service; members of the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ); selected political editors from mainstream media organisations across Nigeria; and representatives of major political parties.
According to a statement signed by the Executive Consultant to the workshop, Dr. Bolu John Folayan, the training will focus on inter-agency respect, cooperation and coordination; community engagement before, during and after elections; and professional conduct and accountability among all stakeholders.
One of the key deliverables of the training, according to Folayan, will be the signing of a “Responsive and Responsible Professionalism Charter” by all participating stakeholders.
Folayan explained that the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act and the Police Act empower various stakeholders to perform specific responsibilities during elections, adding that inadequate knowledge of these respective roles often leads to operational glitches and, in some cases, a breakdown of law and order that can undermine the credibility of elections.
“With improved knowledge of the law among stakeholders, as well as stronger inter-agency cooperation and better media and community relations, successful elections are much more achievable.
“While the Constitution gives rights, the Electoral Act provides the rules, and, of course, the Police Act guides conduct. Unfortunately, many stakeholders lack adequate knowledge of these provisions as they relate to elections,” he stressed.
Themed “Elections, Community Mobilisation, the Law & the Media,” the special training will also address contemporary social media management techniques and fundraising as they relate to elections.
Folayan added: “The Constitution sets the red lines. Security must protect these rights. The media must exercise them responsibly. No security operation should infringe on these rights without due process. That is the way to have credible elections, and that is the goal of this training.”
