Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has called for the immediate implementation of state police to be suspended till after the 2027 general elections. Obi warned that the new policing architecture could be exploited for political gains in the present political climate.
Reacting to the recent passage of the State Police Bill by the National Assembly, Obi said he supports decentralised policing in principle, but the way the legislation is being advanced raises serious concerns.
The former Anambra State governor said on his X account on Friday that Nigeria’s security challenges are best solved with a policing system more people and local government-oriented than highly centralised.
However, he said, the legislative process that led to the bill’s passage appeared to have been rushed and did not involve enough public participation.
“The recent passage of the State Police Bill by the National Assembly is a major legislative milestone in addressing a long-standing demand of the Nigerian people,” he said.
“For a long time, many of us, security experts and regional stakeholders, have argued that a highly centralised policing structure is not appropriate for a country as large, diverse and complex as Nigeria.
“Nevertheless, the implementation of the legislation and constitutionality seem to be uncertain and raise legitimate questions.”
He attacked what he called inadequate community participation in the process and asked why there was no public hearing on such a sensitive national issue.
“The process should be more participatory with the community. “We need to have more visible policing at the local government and community level,” he said.
“The process of passing the law seems to be very disorganised and there was no public hearing on such a sensitive issue.
“The haste to pass the law without proper legislative processes has, in fact, aroused suspicions among many observers about its political motives.”
His major concern, Obi said, was not logistical but that governors might use state police forces against political opponents.
“There is a common, understandable fear that state police forces could be used as pawns in the hands of governors,” he said.
“The concern is that a state-run police force could be used to suppress political opponents, disrupt opposition protests and rig elections.
Obi called for strong safeguards against abuse including independent state level police oversight bodies insulated from executive control.
“For state policing to move from a risky political gamble to a genuine security solution, the law must not only allow states to set up police forces but also clearly provide for independent oversight bodies, such as a state-level Police Service Commission that is completely free from executive influence,” he said.
He also said many Nigerians are not convinced that the present administration would be able to resist the temptation of indirectly influencing the 2027 elections through the use of state policing.
“There is no guarantee that this administration will not give in to the temptation of exploiting state policing to influence the 2027 general election by proxy, going by what Nigerians have seen so far,” Obi said.
In view of that possibility and the danger it poses to the polity, it is important that its implementation be postponed until after the general election. “A new Nigeria is doable.
