30 States Endorse Constitutional Amendment for State Police, Says Akpabio

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday disclosed that about 30 state Houses of Assembly had endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police, expressing optimism that Nigeria could soon adopt a decentralised policing system to strengthen national security.

Akpabio, who spoke when members of the Arewa Revival Project, a northern youth organisation with membership across the 19 northern states, visited him at his office in Abuja, said the proposed reform would improve the country’s capacity to tackle insecurity by bringing policing closer to communities.

He expressed confidence that the constitutional process was nearing completion, adding that the establishment of state police would complement existing security structures and enhance efforts to address the country’s security challenges.

The Senate President, however, urged the youths to intensify grassroots mobilisation for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, arguing that continuity in government would allow the administration’s economic reforms and security policies to produce the desired results.

Akpabio also called on Nigerian youths to rise above what he described as paid social media propaganda against the administration, insisting that the president had taken significant steps to diversify the economy, reform the tax system and address longstanding structural problems.

“As I speak with you now, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, it may not take us a month before we have a state police system, a decentralised policing in the country, because about 30 states have endorsed the amendment to the Nigerian Constitution to bring about state police system, which will further increase the security of the nation,” he said.

The Senate President expressed optimism that Nigeria would overcome its security challenges, urging the youths to remain confident in the country’s future while supporting efforts to restore peace and stability.

“I always tell them that the devil that you see today, you will soon see them no more. Very soon, we shall overcome the insecurity that we face today. So, feel confident as you go round campaigning,” he said.

Akpabio spoke as the debate over the proposed establishment of state police continued to feature prominently in national discussions on security sector reform and the need to strengthen responses to criminal activities across the country.

He maintained that decentralised policing would further strengthen national security, particularly by improving the ability of law enforcement agencies to respond to threats within their respective communities.

The Senate President also urged the Arewa youths to mobilise support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, saying the administration needed sufficient time to consolidate its policies.

He said the president had taken steps to move Nigeria away from its longstanding dependence on crude oil revenues and introduce reforms intended to reposition the economy.

He said, “I expect the Nigerian youth to rise above social media propaganda because this President has managed to take us out of a mono-economy, an economy that was dependent only on crude oil.

“He has brought innovations to bear through the tax reform system, through tinkering with anachronistic laws.”

He argued that the administration’s performance had earned it the support of the National Assembly, declaring that lawmakers had endorsed Tinubu for a second term.

He said, “No President has achieved the level of development that he has done in this country today since independence. The naysayers will not want to say so, but I am very proud and members of the National Assembly are very proud.

“We hold our heads very high and say, yes, we have given him a pass mark and that we have endorsed him to come for a second term in office.”

Akpabio said Nigeria’s continued survival amid economic and security difficulties reflected the president’s willingness to confront the challenges facing the country.

“I give glory to God that Nigeria is still surviving, and surviving because we have a President who thinks and somebody who wants to face challenges, and he is facing the challenges,” he said.

He urged the youths to support continuity in government, arguing that changing the administration before its policies had fully matured could undermine the progress it claimed to have made.

“You don’t change a winning team. He is doing so well. Allow his policies to crystallise. This is not somebody who is coming to experiment. He is already doing it,” the Senate President said.

Akpabio also emphasised the importance of youth participation in national development, saying government policies should create a stable foundation for future generations.

“Whatever we are doing today, we are doing it to stabilise your future and ensure the survival of Nigeria. So, it is good that you are seeing it,” he said.

He warned that the youths could face considerable challenges in countering criticism of the administration on social media, alleging that some individuals attacking the president and his supporters online were being paid to do so.

“It is not going to be easy for you because most of those who are attacking the President and attacking these young men on social media are being paid. You are not being paid,” he told the delegation.

The Senate President advised the youths to organise periodic grassroots engagements to explain government policies and challenge what they considered misinformation, rather than attempt to compete continuously with critics on social media.

He said, “You may not be able to have the kind of energy and time with them. But once in a while, gather the youth together and let them see the truth and know the truth,” he said.

“Attacking a government that is working well for them, trying to bring uncertainty, is not the best.”

The visit provided an opportunity for the Arewa Revival Project to express support for Akpabio’s leadership of the National Assembly and recognise what it described as his contributions to national development.

Earlier, the Project Coordinator, Hon. Mustafa Ibrahim, said the organisation considered Akpabio deserving of recognition because of his contributions to nation-building and the achievements recorded under his leadership of the National Assembly.

The group, whose membership spans the 19 northern states, presented the Senate President with an award in recognition of his contributions to national development.