ADC, Obi back state police, warn Tinubu against hasty implementation

The African Democratic Congress and the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, have backed the establishment of state police but cautioned President Bola Tinubu against what they described as a hasty implementation of the proposed security reform.

They warned that rushing the implementation could be abused for political purposes ahead of the 2027 general elections.

While the ADC accused the Federal Government of rushing through a constitutional amendment, Obi urged Tinubu to defer the implementation of state police until after the 2027 polls to prevent its possible use for electoral manipulation.

The opposition party and the former Anambra State governor spoke on Friday, three days after the National Assembly passed the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish state police as part of efforts to decentralise policing and address growing insecurity across the country.

The proposed constitutional amendment, which awaits approval by at least 24 state Houses of Assembly before presidential assent, provides for the establishment of state police commands alongside the Nigeria Police Force.

It also contains safeguards intended to prevent governors from abusing the new policing structure.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said although it had consistently supported state police, the reform could not succeed without institutional safeguards to guarantee professionalism, accountability and effective oversight.

“The African Democratic Congress supports state police. We have always believed that Nigeria’s policing architecture must evolve to reflect the realities of our federal system. But support for state police cannot be confused with support for the Tinubu administration’s handling of this important national reform,” the statement said.

According to the party, the current effort by the Federal Government amounts to “a hurried response to a worsening security crisis, not the careful institutional planning required to build a functional, accountable and effective policing system.”

The ADC argued that state police should not be presented as an immediate solution to terrorism, banditry and kidnapping, noting that decentralised policing has featured prominently in the country’s constitutional debate for decades.

“It is equally important to state that there is nothing novel about the idea of state police.

“What is new is the attempt by the Tinubu administration to package this long-standing national consensus as a bold new initiative and, worse, to present it as a silver bullet for the country’s current security crisis. It is neither. State police is a structural reform whose benefits will only be realised over time. It cannot, by itself, solve today’s emergency,” the statement read in part.

The party also criticised the speed with which the proposed legislation is being processed by the National Assembly, insisting that constitutional amendments of such magnitude require extensive public consultation and stakeholder engagement.

“Legislation with such far-reaching implications for every Nigerian, and one that could fundamentally alter the country’s constitutional architecture, requires broad consultation and careful reflection.

“Instead, what we are seeing is a government in desperate haste to amend the Constitution in order to create the impression that it is doing something about the country’s worsening insecurity.

“After all, if President Tinubu were genuinely committed to state police, why did it take his administration almost until the end of its tenure to begin rushing through a constitutional amendment?” it asked.

The party maintained that even if the legislation is passed, establishing functional state police services would require substantial investments in recruitment, training, funding, equipment, operational structures and independent oversight.

It also raised concerns over the absence of safeguards against political interference.

The ADC warned against treating state police as a substitute for reforming the Nigeria Police Force, stressing that federal police would continue to play the leading role in counterterrorism, interstate crime and intelligence coordination.

It added that effective policing must be supported by reforms in the judiciary, correctional services, prosecution, intelligence gathering and forensic capacity.

“The ADC will support measures that genuinely strengthen Nigeria’s security. But we will continue to oppose every attempt to substitute the hard work of building institutions capable of keeping Nigerians safe with mere political theatre,” the statement added.

Similarly, Obi on Friday described the passage of the State Police Bill by the National Assembly as a significant milestone but warned that the implementation process raised concerns over transparency and possible political abuse.

The former Anambra State governor, in a statement posted on his X handle titled, “State Police: Commendable Step, but Disorderly Legislation Raises Concerns of Political Misuse,” reiterated his support for decentralised policing.

“The recent passage of the State Police Bill by the National Assembly marks a significant legislative milestone in addressing a long-standing demand of the Nigerian people.

“For years, many of us, alongside security experts and regional stakeholders, have consistently argued that a highly centralised policing structure is fundamentally unsuitable for a country as vast, diverse, and complex as Nigeria. However, the legislative and constitutional implementation appears shaky and raises legitimate concerns,” he said.

To guard against abuse, Obi called for strong independent oversight, including state Police Service Commissions insulated from executive control, saying such safeguards were essential to ensure that state police served the public interest rather than becoming tools of the political elite.

While stating that there was no assurance that the current administration would not exploit state police to influence the 2027 general election, the former governor urged the Federal Government to postpone its implementation until after the polls.

“Going by what Nigerians have seen so far, there is no guarantee that this administration can resist the temptation to take advantage of state policing to influence the 2027 general election by proxy.

“In view of that possibility and the danger it poses to the polity, it is necessary to defer its implementation until after the general election. A New Nigeria is Possible.”

State police has remained one of Nigeria’s most contentious constitutional reform issues, with supporters arguing that decentralising policing will improve intelligence gathering, community policing and rapid response to insecurity, while critics fear governors could exploit state-controlled police for partisan purposes.