*Seeks Delay And Independent Oversight
Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has warned that the proposed state police system could be used by the Tinubu administration to influence the outcome of the 2027 general election if implemented before the polls.
Obi raised the concern in a post on his X account on Friday, June 26, days after the Senate passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police services across the country.
The Senate had, on June 24, approved a bill to amend the 1999 Constitution to create state police as part of efforts to decentralise policing and strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
Reacting to the development, Obi said although decentralised policing has long been advocated by security experts and many Nigerians, the timing and process of the proposed reform had raised serious concerns.
According to him, Nigerians have not seen enough to be assured that the current administration would resist the temptation to use state police for political advantage during the next general election.
“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,” Obi said.
He argued that because of the risk such a move could pose to Nigeria’s democracy, implementation of the proposed law should be deferred until after the 2027 general election.
“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,” he added.
Obi also faulted the manner in which the constitutional amendment was passed, saying a reform of such national sensitivity ought to involve broader public participation, especially at the community and local government levels where policing is expected to have the most direct impact.
He said the absence of extensive public engagement and the speed with which the bill was passed had fuelled suspicion about the political motives behind the legislation.
“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,” Obi said.
“Indeed, the rush to enact the law without proper legislative procedures fuels suspicion among many observers about the political motives behind it.”
As a safeguard, Obi recommended the creation of independent oversight institutions to prevent state police from being controlled by political office holders.
He said the proposed law should establish state-level Police Service Commissions that are insulated from executive interference and empowered to ensure that state police formations operate in the public interest rather than serving the interests of governors or political actors.
The proposed legislation introduces a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
Supporters of the bill argue that decentralised policing will improve Nigeria’s capacity to respond to insecurity, especially given the country’s diverse local security challenges.
However, the proposal has also generated concerns. Some critics fear that state police could be abused by governors or ruling parties, especially against political opponents, activists, journalists and government critics.
Others have questioned the financial capacity of many state governments to establish, fund and sustain independent police services.
Among those who have expressed concern is retired Commissioner of Police, Balarabe Sule, who warned that many states may lack the resources required to run effective police formations if the proposal eventually becomes law.