Obi urges Tinubu to delay state police implementation until after 2027 elections

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on President Bola Tinubu to postpone the implementation of the proposed state police system until after the 2027 general elections, warning that the initiative could be misused for political purposes if introduced before the polls.

Obi made the appeal following the Senate’s passage of a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police as part of efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture.

While acknowledging the country’s worsening security challenges and the need for policing reforms, Obi argued that introducing state-controlled police forces ahead of a major election could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Obi said there was no assurance that the current administration would resist the temptation to use state policing to influence the outcome of the 2027 elections.

“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 proposed state police framework has generated intense national debate, with supporters arguing that decentralizing policing would strengthen security by enabling faster responses to local threats such as banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency.

However, critics have expressed fears that governors could abuse control of state police to intimidate political opponents, suppress dissent, or interfere with elections.

Although the proposed legislation contains provisions intended to prevent the misuse of state police against political opponents, journalists, and civil society groups, Obi maintained that legal safeguards alone may not be sufficient, citing concerns over the enforcement of such protections.

The federal government and several state governors have continued to advocate for state policing as a key solution to Nigeria’s growing security challenges, while opponents insist that stronger institutional safeguards should be established before the policy is implemented.

The debate over state police is expected to remain a major issue as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.