Peter Obi Urges Caution, Says State Police Implementation Should Be Delayed

The immediate implementation of state police should be postponed till after the 2027 general elections, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has said. He warned that the new policing architecture could be exploited for political gains in the current political climate.

Obi, responding to the recent passage of the State Police Bill by the National Assembly, said while he supports decentralised policing in principle, the manner in which the legislation is being advanced raises serious concerns.

In a post on his X account on Friday, the former Anambra State governor argued that Nigeria’s security challenges require a policing system closer to communities and local governments, not a highly centralised one.

He said however that the legislative process leading to the passage of the bill seemed rushed and lacked adequate public engagement.

“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,” Obi said.

“For a long time, many of us, along with security experts and regional stakeholders, have argued that a highly centralised policing structure is not suitable for a country as large, diverse and complex as Nigeria.

“However, the implementation of the legislation and constitutionality appears to be uncertain and raises legitimate questions.”

He criticised what he called inadequate community participation in the process and questioned why there was no public hearing on such a sensitive national issue.

“The process should be more participatory with the community. “There should be more visible policing at the local government and community level,” he said.

“The process of passing the law appears to be very disorganised and there was no public hearing on such a sensitive issue.

“In fact, the rush to pass the law without due legislative processes has raised suspicions among many observers about its political motives.”

His major worry, Obi said, was not logistics, but the potential for governors to 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 stifle political opponents, disrupt opposition demonstrations and manipulate elections.”

Obi called for strong safeguards to prevent abuse, including independent state-level police oversight institutions isolated 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 current 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 can resist the temptation to take advantage of state policing to influence the 2027 general election by proxy, given what Nigerians have seen so far,” Obi said.

Because of that possibility and the danger it poses to the polity, it is important to postpone its implementation until after the general election. “A new Nigeria is possible.