The Senate President expresses optimism that Nigeria could establish decentralised policing soon, as he urges northern youths to support President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has disclosed that about 30 state Houses of Assembly have endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police, expressing optimism that Nigeria could adopt a decentralised policing system soon to strengthen national security.
Akpabio spoke on Wednesday 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. He said the proposed reform would bring policing closer to communities and improve responses to security threats, adding that the amendment process could reach a significant milestone within weeks.
The Senate President also urged the youths to intensify grassroots mobilisation for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, arguing that the administration needed more time to consolidate its economic and security policies. He defended the President’s tax reforms and efforts to diversify the economy beyond crude oil, while maintaining that continuity in government would allow the policies to produce results.
Akpabio further alleged that some social media users criticising President Tinubu and his supporters were being paid, advising the youths to counter what he described as propaganda through periodic grassroots engagements rather than compete continuously online. He also claimed that the National Assembly had endorsed Tinubu for a second term, praising the President’s approach to Nigeria’s economic and security challenges.
The proposed state police system remains subject to the constitutional amendment process. Akpabio’s remarks indicate support among several state assemblies, but the final establishment of state police will depend on the completion of the required legal procedures.