The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has asked the federal government to suspend implementation of the State Police Bill until after the 2027 general election.
Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, disclosed this in an X post on Friday.
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On 11 June, the House of Representatives approved a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across the federation. The Senate also passed the bill on Wednesday.
But the former governor expressed concern that, if implemented, the current administration of President Bola Tinubu could use the state police against the opposition politicians in the forthcoming 2027 election.
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“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,” he said.
The former governor said the passage of the Bill by the National Assembly marks “a significant legislative milestone in addressing” insecurity in Nigeria, but its hasty passage was suspicious.
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The NDC candidate argued that while the existing centralised policing structure was unsuitable for a complex country like Nigeria, the legislative and constitutional implementation of the State Police Bill “appears shaky and raises legitimate concerns.”
The former governor also raised concerns that the bill was passed without a public hearing, stressing that policing should be more visible at the local government and community levels.
“Indeed, the rush to enact the law without proper legislative procedures fuels suspicion among many observers about the political motives behind it,” he stated.
Mr Obi said the greatest concern about the State Police Bill is the possibility that state governors could hijack it.
ALSO READ: EXPLAINER: State Police: The powers, safeguards, controversies in approved Bill
“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,” he said.
Continuing, the former governor said: “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.”
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