Former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, has welcomed the passage of the State Police Bill by the National Assembly as a significant legislative milestone, but raised concerns over the manner of its enactment and its potential for political abuse, calling for its implementation to be suspended until after the 2027 general elections.
In a statement posted on his X handle on Friday, Obi acknowledged that he and other security experts had long argued that Nigeria’s highly centralised policing structure was “fundamentally unsuitable for a country as vast, diverse, and complex as Nigeria.” The passage of the bill, he said, addresses a long-standing demand of the Nigerian people.
However, the former governor was pointed in his criticism of the legislative process, describing it as highly disorganised with no public hearings conducted on the sensitive issue. “The rush to enact the law without proper legislative procedures fuels suspicion among many observers about the political motives behind it,” he said.
His warning centered on the risk that state police forces could become tools of political repression in the hands of state governors. He cited fears that such forces could be “weaponised to suppress political rivals, disrupt opposition rallies, and manipulate elections.”
For state policing to work as a genuine security solution rather than a political gamble, Obi said the law must go beyond merely permitting states to establish police forces. He called for the establishment of independent oversight bodies, specifically, a state-level Police Service Commission completely free from Executive influence, to ensure that policing serves the public rather than those in power.
“Going by what Nigerians have seen so far, there is no guarantee that this administration can resist the temptation not to take advantage of state policing to influence the 2027 general election by proxy,” he said, adding that the danger this poses to the polity makes it necessary to defer implementation until after the election.
The State Police Bill has been one of the most debated constitutional reforms in recent Nigerian political history, with supporters arguing it will bring law enforcement closer to communities and critics warning it could entrench the power of incumbent governors.
