Tijani Mustapha, media aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has faulted the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, over his criticism of the State Police Bill, insisting that he failed to read the legislation before commenting on it.
Obi had criticised the Senate’s passage of the bill, describing the process as hasty and lacking due legislative procedure.
He argued that the manner in which the bill was passed had fuelled public suspicion about the political motives behind its introduction.
The former Labour Party presidential candidate also expressed concern that the legislative process appeared disorganised, noting the absence of a public hearing.
He warned that state police could easily be exploited by state governors to suppress political opponents.
“The suspicion is that a state-controlled police force could be weaponised to suppress political rivals, disrupt opposition rallies, and manipulate elections,” Obi said.
He further argued that for state policing to become a credible solution to Nigeria’s security challenges, the law must go beyond merely allowing states to establish police forces.
According to him, it should also provide for truly independent oversight bodies, including state Police Service Commissions insulated from executive control, to ensure the police serve the public rather than political interests.
Responding in a post on X, Mustapha dismissed Obi’s concerns, stating that they demonstrated he had “clearly didn’t read the bill as passed.”
According to him, the bill already makes provision for the establishment of an independent State Police Service Commission, addressing Obi’s major concern.
“I know this because his major concern of the creation of an independent State Police Service Commission was duly addressed in the bill.
“For a man who doesn’t know the meaning of KPI, one again wonders what this individual’s mental capacities are,” Mustapha wrote.