The Action Democratic Party (ADP) has issued a strong warning to Northern Governors and selected traditional leaders over their growing support for the creation of State Police, describing the push as a “grand scam” capable of weakening Nigeria’s national security.
The party said the proposal is being promoted without an agreed constitutional framework and poses a direct threat to national stability.
In a statement released on Tuesday and signed by Sani Dawop, it’s National Publicity Secretary, the party cautioned against what it called the dangerous belief that empowering state actors with armed police formations would enhance safety.
“This position is misguided, dangerous, and a direct threat to national stability in the absence of an agreed constitutional framework to regulate these State Policing outfits. Let’s not put the cart before the horse;” the party said.
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ADP insisted that the move is designed to benefit political elites rather than ordinary Nigerians, arguing that the promoters of the initiative are fully aware of its potential dangers.
The party criticized state governments—particularly in the North—for failing in their constitutional responsibilities even as insecurity escalated under their watch.
The opposition party cited the manipulation of local government elections as proof of governors’ tendency to abuse power, noting that the widespread practice of declaring ruling party candidates as winners has weakened grassroots democracy across the country.
The ADP warned that placing weapons, command structures, and coercive authority in the hands of state political leaders could invite state-sponsored intimidation, corruption, and heightened ethnic and intra-state tensions.
It added that existing state-backed security outfits have produced little to show, raising doubts about the effectiveness of the State Police if adopted.
According to the party, the dangers of implementing State Police without nationwide consultations and constitutional clarity could be severe.
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“These include targeting political opponents, biased policing of communities, worsening ethnic and religious divisions, and the possible transformation of banditry into state-enabled violence”.
It warned that such outcomes could threaten Nigeria’s institutional integrity.
The party argued that Nigeria requires a comprehensive security overhaul rather than what he described as political opportunism packaged as decentralisation. He called for investment in intelligence gathering, improved inter-agency cooperation, strengthened law enforcement agencies, and reforms in private security services to support national security efforts.
To address broader security challenges, the ADP called for a National Security Conference to deliberate on the modalities for State Policing and other critical concerns. The party also urged civil society groups, labour unions, traditional institutions, and citizens to reject the proposal, warning that Nigeria must not “sleepwalk into constitutional chaos.”
