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By Lawrence Agbo
A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Buba Galadima, has warned that the proposed establishment of state police could undermine Nigeria’s democracy rather than resolve the country’s worsening security challenges.
Speaking on ARISE News Morning Show, Galadima reacted to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, which has cleared the National Assembly and is now before the 36 state Houses of Assembly for ratification.
He questioned the rationale behind establishing state police when existing security agencies have yet to effectively tackle the country’s insecurity.
“If the Nigerian Police, if the Nigerian Military cannot solve security situations in Nigeria, I wonder how the state police would be able to do that,” he said.
Galadima alleged that the timing of the proposal, ahead of the 2027 general election, raised concerns that the new policing structure could be manipulated by political leaders to target opponents.
“All that we know is that the president and the governors are looking for state police before the elections so that they use them as political thugs to attack the opposition, disrupt the election and kill democracy,” he claimed.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s political history, Galadima recalled the operations of the former Native Authority Police, which he said was frequently used to silence dissent and detain opposition members before elections.
According to him, political opponents were often arrested on flimsy accusations, ranging from allegedly insulting traditional rulers to trivial offences, leaving many in detention until after elections.
He argued that such abuses contributed to widespread fear and even forced some people to relocate from parts of Northern Nigeria.
Galadima further warned that state police could aggravate ethnic and religious tensions if recruitment and control were concentrated in the hands of a dominant group within a state.
He said this could discourage Nigerians from living or doing business in states where they are considered minorities, undermining constitutional guarantees of equal rights and freedom of movement.
“The state police could be used to even destroy the unity of this country because if there are certain states where only one tribe or only one religion will constitute the state police, people from other parts of the country will have no liberty to live and do their businesses as guaranteed by the Constitution,” he said.
Maintaining his opposition to the proposal, Galadima insisted the measure would only increase distrust and political tension.
“For me, it will create more problems, more division and more suspicion,” he added.
The State Police Bill is part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process, and it is expected to receive the approval of at least 24 state Houses of Assembly before it can become law.
