President Bola Tinubu has urged the House of Representatives to ensure that the proposed constitutional amendment for the creation of state police includes safeguards against potential abuse by governors.
The President made the appeal on Friday night during an interfaith breaking of fast with members of the Green Chamber at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
It was the third time in one week that he publicly pushed for the constitutional amendment for the state police creation.
Tinubu stressed that the establishment of state police should not be ‘a straight free fall for everybody’, but must be structured with checks and balances drawn from past experiences.
‘We just have to work together to put pressure on ourselves to accept the need for state police. Amend it, not a straight free fall for everybody, tie it in a way that will not be abused like in the past.
‘A good legislature must learn from the past to cure the present. I’m ready to work with you’, he said.
He underscored the local nature of security challenges, telling lawmakers, ‘You know more than anybody else that security is local, and if security is local, we just have to work together’.
The President’s call to the House followed similar appeals to state governors on Monday and to the Senate on Wednesday, intensifying his push for constitutional change ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It also came days after former Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun resigned, with the President appointing Tunji Disu as his successor.
On Monday, during an Iftar with governors, Tinubu declared, ‘What I promise you is not to be postponed. We will establish State Police to combat insecurity’.
On Wednesday, while addressing senators, he urged them to ‘start thinking how best to amend the Constitution to incorporate State Police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, free our children from fear’.
Friday’s dinner marked the first time the President explicitly outlined conditions for the establishment of state police, acknowledging concerns about possible abuse by state chief executives.
He referenced experiences during the First Republic, when regional police forces were allegedly used to intimidate political opponents and suppress dissent.
Critics have warned that governors could weaponise state-controlled security outfits for political persecution, electoral manipulation, or settling personal scores.
The establishment of state police would require a constitutional amendment passed by both chambers of the National Assembly with a two-thirds majority and ratified by at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
President Tinubu also praised lawmakers for backing his administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira.
‘I’m glad we’re out of the dark tunnel. It was very difficult at the beginning for people to realise the direction of my thinking, but I’m glad that despite the heat from critics, none of you came to me to say, can you reverse the removal of subsidy, or can you change the foreign exchange flotation of the naira?’ he said.
He commended them for standing by the reforms despite what he described as ‘high voltage’ criticism, saying their collaboration inspired him to push forward.
The President also expressed appreciation to Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for his leadership, describing him as ‘a very good team leader’.
On insecurity, President Tinubu acknowledged ongoing challenges across the country, noting that he had seen lawmakers visiting their constituencies to address security concerns.
The country continues to grapple with Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, kidnapping across several states, and separatist agitations in the South-East.
The call for state police has gained traction among governors, traditional rulers, security experts, and civil society groups who argue that the centralised policing structure is inadequate to address localised threats.
Proponents say the initiative would allow quicker response, improved community policing, and more effective intelligence gathering. Opponents, however, warn of potential abuse, politicisation, financial strain on states, and the risk of inter-state security clashes.
The National Assembly is currently on recess and is expected to resume plenary in March 2026.
