The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has urged the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to postpone the implementation of state police until after the 2027 general elections.
Obi made the call while commenting on the recent passing of the state police bill in the Senate via his X handle, titled “State Police: Commendable Step, but Disorderly Legislation Raises Concerns of Political Misuse.”
He expressed deep concern that creating and deploying state-controlled police forces right before a major election cycle poses a significant risk to Nigeria’s democratic process.
He argued that the current political climate lacks the institutional safeguards necessary to prevent the ruling class from abusing decentralized security forces.
Obi warned that there is no guarantee the current federal administration or regional governors will resist using state police forces as proxies to influence or rig the 2027 polls.
He pointed out the danger of state police being transformed into political tools to intimidate opposition parties and suppress voters in rival strongholds.
The Labour Party’s presidential candidate for 2023 stated, “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.
“The process should involve greater community participation. Policing should be more visible at the local government and community levels.
“The mechanism for passing the law appears highly disorganised, with no public hearing on such a sensitive issue.
“Indeed, the rush to enact the law without proper legislative procedures fuels suspicion among many observers about the political motives behind it.
“The greatest concern does not arise from logistical issues; it stems from history. There is a widespread, justifiable fear that state police forces could become instruments in the hands of governors.
“The suspicion is that a state-controlled police force could be weaponised to suppress political rivals, disrupt opposition rallies, and manipulate elections.
“For state policing to evolve from a risky political gamble into a genuine security solution, the law must not only permit states to establish police forces but also clearly provide for independent oversight bodies, such as a state-level Police Service Commission that is entirely free from executive influence, to ensure that policing serves the public interest rather than the interests of the ruling elite.
“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.”
