2027 polls: NNPP raises concerns about potential misuse of state police

Nigeria's New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) has voiced strong concerns regarding the recently passed State Police Bill, warning it could be weaponized for political purposes. Prince Nweze Onu, the NNPP's Deputy National Chairman, stated that the proposed security reform risks becoming a "dangerous political weapon" for state governments as the 2027 general elections approach.

While acknowledging that state police have been proposed as a solution to Nigeria's security challenges, Onu criticized the bill's swift passage. He argued that such a significant reform requires extensive national consultation and public scrutiny. Key issues like accountability, operational independence, funding, and oversight mechanisms, he contends, were not sufficiently debated before the bill became law.

Onu's intervention highlights growing stakeholder anxieties about the impartiality of security agencies during election periods. He expressed fears that without robust constitutional safeguards, state police formations could be susceptible to political interference and used to suppress opposition, critics, and dissenting voices. He pointed to public debates surrounding existing regional security outfits like the South-West's Amotekun Corps and the South-East's Ebubeagu, which have often raised questions about accountability and alleged abuses.

The NNPP deputy chairman urged the federal government and the National Assembly to halt the nationwide state policing system's implementation. Instead, he proposed a thorough review of existing regional security units, strengthening their frameworks, and addressing identified weaknesses. Any future state police arrangement, he insisted, must include clear constitutional guarantees for transparent recruitment, professional training, independent complaint mechanisms, judicial oversight, and severe sanctions against political misuse. "Nigeria deserves security institutions that protect every citizen equally. We must never permit any reform, however well-intentioned, to become a tool for political persecution," Onu stated, advocating for reforms that strengthen democracy and national unity.

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Nigeria deserves security institutions that protect every citizen equally. We must never permit any reform, however well-intentioned, to become a tool for political persecution