State police legislation politically motivated – ADC 

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja 

The African Democratic Congress (ADC), has described the state police bill, passed recently, by the National Assembly as a panicky and politically motivated response to the security crisis in the country.

The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Friday, said while it supports the establishment of state police, there was a need for institutional readiness and necessary safeguards to make it effective. 

The opposition party noted that it is a necessary component of a long-term constitutional reform, warning that it cannot be presented as an immediate solution to the escalating crisis of banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism confronting the country.

It added that a comprehensive police reform, independent oversight, judicial autonomy, correctional services, intelligence coordination are necessary to make a decentralisation of policing succeed.

The Senate, on Wednesday, passed a bill seeking to alter the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to remove policing from the exclusive legislative list, so that states can establish their own police force. The House, had earlier in the month, passed the state police bill.

Nonetheless, the ADC noted that the state police bill is a very important legislation that should not be rushed. It stated that security is a serious matter that should not be used for political posturing.

“We have always believed that Nigeria’s policing architecture must evolve to reflect the realities of our federal system. But support for state police cannot be confused with support for the Tinubu administration’s handling of this important national reform.

“What we are witnessing is a hurried response to a worsening security crisis, not the careful institutional planning required to build a functional, accountable, and effective policing system. State police is too important, and the security of Nigerians too urgent, to be reduced to a quick legislative fix or rushed through the National Assembly without the broad consultation such a far-reaching reform demands.

“It is equally important to state that there is nothing novel about the idea of state police. Decentralised policing has been part of Nigeria’s constitutional and political conversation for decades and today enjoys broad national support,” the statement emphasised.