President Bola Tinubu
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ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has strongly cautioned against the Federal Government’s proposed creation of State Police through constitutional amendment, arguing that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu lacks the credibility, competence, and public trust required to undertake such a far-reaching reform.
In a press statement issued on Thursday and signed by its National Chairman, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, OON, the opposition party expressed deep reservations over what it described as the timing and motive behind the move, insisting that the proposal should be rejected until a government with greater public confidence is in place.
The PRP said it is “deeply concerned” over plans by the Tinubu administration to establish State Police through constitutional amendment at a period it believes the government’s credibility has reached “an unprecedented low level” in Nigeria’s democratic history.
According to the party, while the country’s security architecture requires urgent reforms, the current administration has failed to demonstrate the leadership and integrity needed to successfully implement such a sensitive restructuring.
“The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) is deeply concerned over plans by President Tinubu’s administration to procure State Police through constitutional amendment at a time when its credibility and competence are at an unprecedented low level in our democratic history,” the statement read.
The party acknowledged that Nigeria’s security challenges demand comprehensive institutional reforms but argued that such reforms must be undertaken by a government that enjoys the confidence of the people.
“While Nigeria needs major review and overhaul of its security, and law and order institutions to address national security and create an environment that should raise citizens’ confidence and faith in leaders and critical institutions, this administration lacks the moral assets and the trust of Nigerians to undertake a major shift in the policing structure of the country,” Dr. Baba-Ahmed stated.
The PRP further suggested that the Federal Government is likely to succeed in securing the constitutional amendments required to establish State Police, citing what it described as established political precedents.
“Going by precedent and record, this administration will almost certainly secure what is needed to amend the constitution and actualize its desire to establish State Police,” the party said.
Despite this expectation, the opposition party warned that the proposal raises serious concerns because, in its view, the administration has failed to effectively manage existing security institutions.
“The APC administration has failed to manage our security structure and institutions. Its plan to engineer the emergence of State Police is suspicious and it should be rejected,” the statement declared.
The PRP maintained that the government should instead focus on addressing Nigeria’s worsening security situation and restoring public confidence in existing institutions before embarking on structural reforms of such magnitude.
The party also linked the debate on State Police to the country’s democratic process, urging Nigerians to reserve consideration of the proposal until after the next general election.
According to the statement, “The PRP advises that the forthcoming election should be a threshold which should be crossed with credibility and popular acclaim before the nation decides on important issues such as state police structures.”
The party argued that only a government emerging from a broadly credible electoral process and enjoying widespread public legitimacy should be entrusted with decisions capable of fundamentally altering Nigeria’s policing framework.
It also urged the Tinubu administration to concentrate on improving the safety of Nigerians rather than pursuing constitutional amendments.
“It further advises the current administration to make more efforts towards securing citizens and bringing an end to the nightmare under which we all live,” the statement concluded.
The renewed debate over State Police has remained one of Nigeria’s most contentious constitutional issues, with supporters arguing that decentralised policing would improve security responses across the federation, while critics warn that it could be abused by state governments unless accompanied by strong institutional safeguards.
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