ADC Accuses Tinubu of Rushing State Police Bill to Hide Security Failures

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration for hastening the passage of the State Police Bill, claiming it is intended to give the appearance that the government is addressing Nigeria’s escalating insecurity.

In a statement released on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party described the bill as a “panicky” and politically motivated action rather than a carefully considered constitutional reform.

While reaffirming its support for state policing in principle, the ADC warned that the reform should not be promoted as an immediate cure for banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.

It argued that the policy requires robust institutional safeguards before implementation.

The party accused the federal government of rebranding “a long‑standing national consensus as a bold new initiative” and of advancing the constitutional amendment through the National Assembly without adequate public consultation.

“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 opposition party also questioned the timing of the move, asking why the Tinubu administration waited until “almost the end of its tenure” to push state police aggressively if it was truly committed to the reform.

The party maintained that enacting a law alone would not solve Nigeria’s security challenges.

It listed recruitment, training, funding, command structures, intelligence coordination, judicial oversight, and correctional reforms as critical elements that cannot be established overnight.