By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in the 2027 General elections, Peter Obi, has expressed serious reservation and fears over the possibility of the proposed State Police arrangement becoming a tool for the manipulation of the 2027 polls.
Obi commended the National Assembly for the passage of the State police Bill, and described the development as a commendable move towards tackling the worsening security challenges facing the country.
However, the former Anambra State Governor expressed misgivings over what he termed a disorderly and cacophonous legislative process ahead of the laudable initiative.
In a statement shared on his official site on Friday, June 26, 2026 ,Obi ,the Labour Party, LP presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, noted that the arrangnment is in sinc with the yearnings and aspirations of the overwhelming majority of Nigerians, who had long kicked against the highly centralized nature of the country’s security architecture.
According to him, the new idea of decentralizing the Police Force remains the only feasible framework for the size, diversity and security realities of Nigeria.
However, Obi emphasized that while the proposed arrangement remains ideal, and represents a significant milestone in the bid to overcome insecurity, he expressed concern over the shaky nature of its implementation.
Particularly, the NDC Presidential candidate said the speed with which the National Assembly passed the State Police Bill without recourse to wider consultations, has raised pertinent questions and honest suspicion about the motives behind the plan.
“The rush to enact the law without proper legislative procedure fuels suspicion among many observers about the political motives behind it.
“The process should involve greater community participation. Policing should be more visible at the Local Government,and Community levels.
“The mechanism for passing the law appears highly disorganised, with no public hearing on such a sensitive issue”, Obi stated.
He expressed regret that such a sensitive piece of legislation could be passed without first addressing the possibility of abuse and misuse by supervising authorities.
Obi maintained that one of the teething challenges surrounding state police is not logistics, but the fear of possible abuse by state Governors.
“There is widespread, justifiable fear that State Police Forces could become instruments in the hands of Governors.
“The suspicion is that a state-controlled Police Force could be weaponised to suppress political rivals, disrupt opposition rallies and manipulate elections.
“For state policing to evolve from a risky political gamble Into a genuine security solution, the law must not only permit states to establish police forces, but also clearly provide for independent oversight bodies, such as state-level Police Service Commissions that are entirely free from executive influence, to ensure that policing.serves the public interest rather than the interests of the ruling elite.
“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 elections by proxy”, the NDC presidential candidate added.
While reaffirming his support foy the project, Obi, however, called for the deferment of implementation of the process till after the 2027 polls.
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