Obi asks Tinubu to postpone state police rollout until after the 2027 elections

* Warns rushed legislation could be weaponised to suppress opposition, manipulate elections

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja 

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on the Federal Government to delay the rollout of the newly approved State Police framework until after the 2027 general election.

He cautioned that the initiative might be used for partisan ends if it is introduced before the polls.

In a statement posted on Friday via his X account, Obi said that the National Assembly’s passage of the State Police Bill marked a significant legislative milestone in Nigeria’s effort to reform its policing structure.

However, he noted that the way the legislation was processed raised serious doubts about its credibility and potential political misuse.

He argued that although decentralising policing has long been promoted by security experts and regional stakeholders as a remedy for Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, the constitutional and legislative framework supporting the reform appears fragile and has not earned public confidence.

According to him, the lack of extensive public consultation and the rapid passage of the legislation fostered widespread suspicion regarding the initiative’s motives.