The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu’s push for the establishment of state police, describing the proposed legislation as hasty, politically driven and incapable of solving Nigeria’s worsening insecurity without far-reaching institutional reforms.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party said although it supports state police as part of long-term constitutional restructuring, the Federal Government’s current approach lacks the planning, consultation and safeguards needed to make the initiative effective.
According to the party, decentralised policing has enjoyed national support for years and should not be presented as a new solution to the country’s security crisis.
“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,” the ADC stated.
The party warned that rushing the proposed legislation through the National Assembly without comprehensive reforms in the justice sector, intelligence gathering, correctional services, police oversight and institutional accountability would produce little or no meaningful impact.
The ADC also faulted the timing of the initiative, questioning why the Tinubu administration waited until this stage before aggressively pursuing constitutional amendments if it was truly committed to state policing.
It argued that establishing state police involves complex issues such as recruitment, training, funding, command structure, operational guidelines and independent oversight, insisting that these cannot be achieved overnight.
The opposition party further expressed concern that state police could be abused by political office holders if adequate constitutional safeguards are not put in place.
It therefore called for strong oversight mechanisms involving state legislatures and the judiciary to prevent misuse of the proposed security outfit.
The ADC also warned against treating state police as a substitute for comprehensive reforms of the Nigeria Police Force, stressing that the federal police would continue to play a central role in combating terrorism, organised crime, interstate criminal activities and intelligence operations.
Reaffirming its position, the party said its manifesto supports a multi-layered policing structure comprising federal, state and community police, backed by clearly defined responsibilities, national standards, independent oversight and stronger community intelligence.
The party maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges cannot be solved through policing reforms alone but require a comprehensive overhaul of the judiciary, prosecution system, correctional services, forensic capabilities, intelligence coordination and other key institutions.
The ADC said it would continue to support reforms capable of strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture while opposing what it described as politically motivated initiatives designed to create the impression of action without delivering lasting solutions.
