The Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has assured residents of adequate security before, during and after the 2027 general elections.
Bakori gave the assurance on Saturday at the 2026 Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Kano State Chapter, where he was invited as a special guest of honour.
“We will employ robust security architecture to guarantee peace before, during and after the 2027 general elections,” he said.
The commissioner disclosed that the command had commenced stakeholder engagements, training and sensitisation programmes involving youth groups, political actors and media practitioners.
He said the police would also sustain intelligence-led operations and collaboration with other security agencies to tackle hate speech, political thuggery, fake news and communication warfare that could threaten public peace.
Bakori noted that, based on policing experience, elections should be viewed as a process rather than a single event, with information playing a critical role throughout the exercise.
“Mismanaged information breeds rumour, incites violence and undermines public trust. Well-managed information, on the other hand, builds confidence, promotes peace and strengthens democracy,” he said.
He emphasised that information officers were not merely responsible for disseminating press releases but also served as custodians of accurate information, managers of public perception and a first line of defence against misinformation, disinformation and fake news.
According to him, their responsibilities become particularly important while election results are being awaited, collated or announced.
The police commissioner commended the NIPR Kano State Chapter’s executive council for recognising him and sustaining professionalism, ethical standards and excellence in public relations practice.
Describing the meeting’s theme as timely and strategic ahead of the 2027 general elections, Bakori urged participants to develop a clear and ethical framework for communicating election results.
He said such a framework should prioritise accuracy over speed, responsibility over sensationalism, and the national interest over personal or partisan gains.
Earlier, a professor at the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, Kano, Sule Yau Sule, highlighted the role of information officers in managing election results, stressing the importance of professionalism, ethics and national interest.
The Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kano State, Ambassador Zango Abdu, also delivered a goodwill message, assuring participants of the commission’s preparedness to conduct free, fair, credible and transparent elections in 2027.
Abdu said INEC would pursue these objectives through improved technology and sustained engagement with relevant stakeholders.
