KEY POINTS
- Tinubu says state police reform was assured to Western partners.
- The government ties state police reform to local government funding and autonomy.
- State police reform now sits at the center of APC strategy.
President Bola Tinubu said Thursday that he has assured the United States and European partners his administration will implement state police as part of a broader effort to improve security across Nigeria, a long-debated reform that would shift more policing powers to subnational governments.
Speaking at the 14th National Caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, Tinubu said he discussed security challenges extensively with Western partners and expressed confidence in his political base to carry through reforms. “They asked me if I’m confident, and I said yes, I have a party to depend on,” he told party leaders.
The remarks come as Nigeria grapples with persistent insecurity, from banditry and kidnappings to insurgency, and as international partners push for clearer signals on governance and stability.
Tinubu’s state police pledge to partners
Tinubu framed state police as a practical response to Nigeria’s complex security landscape, while stressing that political reconciliation and internal cohesion within the APC were essential to delivering reforms. Flexibility and tolerance, he said, were critical to maintaining stability and sustaining progress.
He also pointed to a recent Supreme Court judgment affirming local government autonomy, urging party leaders to ensure its full implementation. According to the president, autonomy without funding would amount to little more than symbolism.
“There is no autonomy without a funded mandate,” Tinubu said, insisting that the government must send allocations directly to local councils. Stronger, better-funded councils, he argued, would help stabilize communities and reinforce governance at the grassroots.
State police debate meets party politics
Beyond security and fiscal federalism, Tinubu called for greater inclusion of women in party leadership, urging APC stakeholders to widen participation as the party consolidates power.
Earlier, Vice President Kashim Shettima spoke to the caucus and advised against being too comfortable. He said that staying in charge of politics required discipline and careful management of internal democracy. He talked about how the APC is growing in all six geopolitical zones and how defections and new partnerships have made the party stronger.
Shettima further said recent entrants to the ruling party had found a stable political home, projecting that the APC’s dominance would endure beyond the 2027 elections. Success, he cautioned, was easier to achieve than to maintain, a message aimed at party leaders navigating growing influence and rising expectations.
