The Lagos State Police Command has urged registered political parties, candidates and their supporters to send advance notices of any rallies, campaigns, processions and other political gatherings as preparations for the 2027 general elections continue to gather momentum.
The Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, explained that the notice requirement is intended to give the command enough time to make appropriate security arrangements and deploy adequate personnel to cover the events across the state.
Mr Fatai made the appeal in a statement shared on X by the police spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, on Sunday.
He stated that the command would provide security for all political parties, candidates and their supporters without discrimination. He however warned that any activity capable of disrupting public peace would not be tolerated.
The commissioner said that parties which fail to notify the police or disregard security arrangements, resulting in a breach of peace, would be held accountable under the law.
He also referred to a security meeting held on October 15 ahead of the elections, where political parties and other stakeholders were urged to cooperate with security agencies and comply with security guidelines.
The police's appeal comes against the backdrop of their statutory responsibility to provide security for political activities. Section 91 of the Electoral Act 2022 requires the police to provide adequate security for the peaceful conduct of rallies and processions.
The provision also protects the right of registered political parties, aspirants and candidates to hold lawful rallies.
Mr Fatai urged political parties to cooperate with the command to ensure that political activities across the state were conducted peacefully.
He clarified that the notice, as framed by the police command, is not a request for permission to conduct political activities.
Based on existing court judgements, the position of the law is that police permits are not required to hold such political activities or organise protests.