The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has reacted to the passage of the State Police Establishment Bill by the Nigerian Senate.
Obi, in a statement on Friday, June 26, 2026, welcomed the Senate’s passage of the bill.
He said the move could help tackle Nigeria’s security problems, but he raised concerns about the hurried process and the risk of political misuse.
He described the bill as a “significant legislative milestone” that meets long-standing requests from Nigerians, security experts, and regional stakeholders.
He explained that a single, centralised police system has not worked well for a country as large and diverse as Nigeria.
However, Obi questioned how the bill was passed.
He said, “The mechanism for passing the law appears highly disorganised, with no public hearing on such a sensitive issue.
“The rush to enact the law without proper legislative procedures fuels suspicion among many observers about the political motives behind it,” Obi said.
He also pointed to the lack of enough community involvement and poor visibility of policing at the local government and community levels.
Obi’s main concern was that state governors could misuse the police. He said state police could become tools for oppression.
“The greatest concern does not arise from logistical issues; it stems from history. There is a widespread, justifiable fear that state police forces could become instruments in the hands of governors… to suppress political rivals, disrupt opposition rallies, and manipulate elections,” he noted.
To reduce these risks, Obi called for strong safeguards. He said independent state-level Police Service Commissions should be set up and kept free from government control. He said this would ensure the police serve the public, not those in power.
With the 2027 general elections near, Obi also asked that the law’s implementation be delayed.
“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 election by proxy.
“In view of that possibility and the danger it poses to the polity, it is necessary to defer its implementation until after the general election,” he advised.
