Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has raised strong concerns over the recently passed State Police Bill by the National Assembly, warning that its implementation could pose serious risks to Nigeria’s democracy if not properly structured.
While acknowledging that the passage of the bill represents a significant legislative milestone in addressing the long-standing demand for decentralised policing, Obi argued that the current framework raises fundamental constitutional, political, and governance concerns.
According to him, Nigeria’s highly centralised policing system has long been considered unsuitable for a country as vast, diverse, and complex as Nigeria. However, he maintained that the process leading to the bill’s passage lacked the level of transparency and public participation required for such a sensitive national issue.
Obi criticised the absence of broad public hearings and community engagement, describing the legislative process as rushed and disorganised. He noted that this has fuelled public suspicion about the true political intentions behind the proposed law.
He expressed even greater concern over the possibility that state police forces could become tools in the hands of state governors.
According to Obi, many Nigerians fear that governors could deploy state-controlled police to intimidate political opponents, suppress opposition activities, disrupt campaigns, and influence election outcomes.
To prevent such abuse, he argued that the law should not merely empower states to establish police forces but must also provide for independent oversight institutions, including State Police Service Commissions that are completely insulated from executive interference.
Such independent bodies, he said, would ensure that state police serve the interests of the public rather than those of the political elite.
Obi further warned that, based on recent political developments in the country, there is no sufficient guarantee that the current administration would resist the temptation to exploit state policing as an indirect tool to influence the 2027 general elections.
In view of these concerns, he called for the implementation of the State Police law to be suspended until after the 2027 general election, arguing that doing so would help preserve public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process while allowing adequate time to establish credible safeguards against political abuse.
His position has once again reignited national debate over the balance between improving internal security through decentralised policing and protecting democratic institutions from political interference.
