President Bola Tinubu has urged Governors affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to demonstrate their commitment and support for both the establishment of state police and the effective implementation of local government autonomy, emphasising that these two policies are essential components of his administration’s reform agenda. At the 14th APC National Caucus meeting in
President Bola Tinubu has urged Governors affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to demonstrate their commitment and support for both the establishment of state police and the effective implementation of local government autonomy, emphasising that these two policies are essential components of his administration’s reform agenda.
At the 14th APC National Caucus meeting in Abuja on Thursday, President Tinubu urged APC governors to uphold the Supreme Court’s recent decision that grants financial autonomy to local government councils and to strictly adhere to its requirements.
Speaking to the caucus—a top decision-making body that includes the President, Vice President, national party officials, governors from the party, National Assembly leaders, and other important stakeholders—President Tinubu emphasised that local government autonomy is pointless without adequate funding for the councils.
He acknowledged that APC governors currently make up the majority in the country’s governors’ forum and urged them to use their autonomy to strengthen the party’s position nationally. He stressed the importance of making sure that funds allocated to local governments are sent directly to them.
“Look at the recent Supreme Court judgement. What can we do with it, and how well can we position our country and our party?” he asked.
“To me, the local government autonomy is and must be effective. There is no autonomy without a funded mandate; give them their money directly.”
“That is the truth. That is the compliance of the Supreme Court,” Tinubu insisted.
On the state police, President Bola Tinubu addressed the insecurity challenges the country has been facing, stating that his administration is committed to the establishment of state police as a response to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
He further disclosed that he had recently promised foreign allies in the United States and Europe of Nigeria’s resolve to pursue the reform. The President told his party members that his promise to establish state policing must not fail, challenging the governors that the responsibility lies with them.
“I had a very long discussion with the US and European partners. I was bragging to them that we will definitely pass a state police to improve security. They asked me if I’m confident, and I said, ‘Yes, I have a party to depend on. I have a party that will make it happen,’” he said.
“And if at this level we fail, God forbid, we will not fail. I think the reconciliation, the accommodation, and the flexibility are in your hands, all of you, and we are the majority. We are the leaders.”
The creation of state police has been one of the longstanding issues in the amendment of the Nigerian constitution, which is underway. There have been different positions on the creation of state police, in which some of them point to challenges surrounding the development. Some of the identified challenges include fears of political abuse, inadequate funding and resources, and the complex process of constitutional reform. These issues create a contentious debate that prevents national consensus.
While the National Assembly has prioritised state policing in its amendment as part of the 44 harmonised bills now ready for consideration and voting by the two chambers of the National Assembly, having undergone public hearings and engagement of several stakeholders to gather input on the bills, the escalating insecurity and the inability of the federal police to respond swiftly have shifted the momentum.
If passed, political pundits have said the creation of state police might be one of the significant changes to the country’s governance system.
