Obi, ADC, Ndume question ‘hasty’ passage of state police bill

Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) have faulted the hasty passage of the State Police Bill, warning that the reform could be vulnerable to political abuse if implemented without adequate safeguards.

While all four support the establishment of state police in principle, they argued that the legislation was rushed and lacks the institutional, legal and financial frameworks needed to ensure accountability and public confidence.

Obi, in a statement posted on his X handle titled: “State Police: Commendable Step, but Disorderly Legislation Raises Concerns of Political Misuse,” described the bill as a major legislative milestone but criticised the process leading to its passage.

According to him, the absence of public hearings and broader consultations on such a sensitive constitutional amendment had raised questions about the political motives behind the legislation.

“The rush to enact the law without proper legislative procedures fuels suspicion among many observers about the political motives behind it,” Obi said.

He warned that, without independent oversight bodies insulated from governors’ influence, state police could be weaponised against political opponents, journalists and civil society organisations.

Obi also called for the implementation of state police to be deferred until after the 2027 general election, arguing that there was no guarantee the current administration would not exploit the new policing structure to influence the polls.

Similarly, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) described the push for state police as a hurried and politically driven response to the country’s worsening insecurity.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said decentralised policing remained a necessary constitutional reform but cautioned against presenting it as an immediate solution to banditry, kidnapping and terrorism.

“What we are witnessing is a hurried response to a worsening security crisis, not the careful institutional planning required to build a functional, accountable and effective policing system,” the party said.

The ADC insisted that police reform must go beyond legislation to include independent oversight, judicial reforms, intelligence coordination and stronger correctional institutions, warning that constitutional changes of such magnitude required extensive public consultation.

Also speaking, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) said although he supported state police, the proposal was being pursued too hastily.

Speaking on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, Ndume said lawmakers should have subjected the proposal to wider consultations before passing it.

“You don’t just wake up because the President wants state police and pass it overnight. You’re supposed to sit down, deliberate on it and get input,” he said.

Ndume identified recruitment, funding, operational guidelines and inter-state coordination as unresolved issues, adding that the constitutional amendment must still secure the approval of state Houses of Assembly before becoming law.

Adding its voice, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International Nigeria warned that the proposed state police structure could become a tool for political repression unless stronger constitutional safeguards, sustainable funding and effective accountability mechanisms were incorporated into the framework.

Executive Director of CISLAC, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said while decentralised policing could improve intelligence gathering and community security, the reform alone would not solve Nigeria’s security challenges.

He urged the 36 state Houses of Assembly and the Presidency to address critical gaps before ratifying the constitutional amendment.

According to Rafsanjani, the absence of guarantees for operational independence could allow governors and political actors to manipulate state police to intimidate opposition figures, journalists and civil society groups.

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