Adebayo Defends State Police, Questions Opposition To Govs’ Control Of Security

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has defended the establishment of state police, arguing that it is inconsistent to oppose governors controlling state police while entrusting the President with authority over the Nigeria Police Force. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Adebayo challenged one of the major arguments against state policing, saying those who fear governors would abuse state police powers should also question the concentration of policing powers at the federal level. “If we don’t trust the governor, why should we trust the President?” Adebayo asked. He argued that concerns about abuse of power are not exclusive to state governments, noting that governments at every level have the capacity to misuse authority. “History shows that governments use the police. If that is the argument, why haven’t we abolished the presidency or the federal police?” he said. His comments come as the National Assembly considers constitutional amendments to establish state police as part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture. Among the proposals under consideration is a framework for funding state police through deductions from states’ allocations from the Federation Account. Adebayo rejected suggestions that states lack the capacity to manage their own police services, describing the current arrangement as inconsistent with the principles of federalism. He argued that it was illogical for states to have Houses of Assembly that make laws and courts that interpret those laws, yet lack police institutions to enforce them. “Why should a state have a House of Assembly that makes laws and courts that interpret those laws, yet be denied the power to enforce them through its own police? It simply doesn’t make sense,” he said. According to him, policing is a fundamental responsibility of government, and each tier of government should have law enforcement institutions that correspond with its constitutional responsibilities. Rather than concentrating policing powers in Abuja, Adebayo advocated a system in which the federal, state and local governments operate their own police services within clearly defined constitutional boundaries. He also dismissed fears that governors would inevitably abuse state police, maintaining that abuse of power can occur at any level of government and should be addressed through constitutional safeguards and democratic accountability. “An abuse is an abuse whether it is committed by the local government, the state government or the Federal Government,” he said. Drawing on his experience as a legal practitioner in the United States, Adebayo cited the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) as examples of professional sub-national police organisations, arguing that local police forces often perform more effectively because of their familiarity with the communities they serve. He also referenced investigations following the assassination of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, noting that local law enforcement agencies played significant roles in uncovering key facts during the investigation. Calling for what he described as genuine federalism, Adebayo urged Nigeria to stop treating state policing as an experiment. “We need to grow up. Once we say we are a federation—the very first word in our Constitution—we should behave like one,” he said. On the proposal to deduct funding for state police directly from states’ federal allocations, Adebayo said similar constitutional mechanisms already exist, citing the direct funding arrangement for the judiciary as an example of how financial independence can be guaranteed without diminishing state authority. He expressed confidence that, if established on the principles of professionalism and the rule of law, some state police commands could eventually outperform the Nigeria Police Force in efficiency and service delivery. Adebayo’s remarks add to the ongoing national debate over the proposed creation of state police and broader reforms aimed at restructuring Nigeria’s security architecture.