The Peoples Redemption Party has thrown its weight against the ongoing constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police in Nigeria, describing the Tinubu administration’s push for the reform as suspicious and insisting that the current government lacks the moral authority to oversee such a sweeping change in the country’s policing structure.

The opposition party’s position was made known in a statement issued by its National Chairman, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who said the PRP was “deeply concerned” over the administration’s plans to procure state police through constitutional amendment at a time when its credibility and competence are at historically low levels. The party argued that while Nigeria genuinely requires a comprehensive overhaul of its security and law enforcement systems, the current administration has demonstrated it cannot be trusted to manage existing institutions, let alone restructure them.

“The APC administration has failed to manage our security structure and institutions. Its plan to engineer the emergence of state police is suspicious and it should be rejected,” Baba-Ahmed declared.

The PRP’s rejection comes days after both chambers of the National Assembly passed the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, with the Senate following the House of Representatives, which had earlier approved the bill on June 11. The legislation, which has the backing of President Bola Tinubu and state governors, seeks to move policing from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list, effectively empowering states to establish, fund and operate their own police services alongside a federal force. The bill now requires ratification by at least 24 state Houses of Assembly to take effect.

The party further urged that any decision on the creation of state police be deferred until after the next general election, arguing that the exercise should first serve as a credibility test for the administration before such consequential decisions are taken. It also called on the government to focus on ending the persistent security nightmare facing ordinary Nigerians rather than pursuing structural reforms it is ill-equipped to execute.

The PRP’s position adds to a growing chorus of opposition from other parties and stakeholders, including the NNPP, CUPP and security experts, many of whom have raised concerns about the risk of governors weaponising state police forces for political purposes, as well as funding challenges that could render poorly resourced state forces ineffective ahead of the 2027 general elections.