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Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for 2023 and the 2027 hopeful for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has urged that implementation of the newly passed State Police be postponed until after the 2027 general election.
Reacting on X to the Senate’s passage of the State Police Bill, Obi described the development as “a commendable step” but warned that the bill’s rushed and disorderly handling raises serious concerns.
He argued that rolling out State Police before elections could create “a justifiable fear of abuse within the polity,” potentially opening the door to political misuse.
Obi called for the legislative process to be cleaned up and for safeguards to be established before any operational launch, urging lawmakers and stakeholders to prioritise transparency and protections that would prevent partisan exploitation of the new policing structure.
“For years, many of us, alongside security experts and regional stakeholders, have consistently argued that a highly centralised policing structure is fundamentally unsuitable for a country as vast, diverse, and complex as Nigeria.
“However, the legislative and constitutional implementation appears shaky and raises legitimate concerns.
"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.
“Indeed, the rush to enact the law without proper legislative procedures fuels suspicion among many observers about the political motives behind it.
"The greatest concern does not arise from logistical issues; it stems from history. 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.
"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.
"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. A New Nigeria is Possible.
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