A fresh war of words has erupted between Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s camp and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi over the controversial state police bill, with both sides disagreeing over the content and passage of the proposed legislation.
The exchange began after Obi criticised the National Assembly for what he described as the hasty passage of the bill, arguing that it failed to follow proper legislative procedures.
The former Anambra State governor said the speed with which lawmakers approved the proposal had fuelled suspicions about the political motives behind it.
Obi also faulted the process leading to the bill’s passage, lamenting the absence of a public hearing. He warned that many Nigerians fear state police could be turned into political tools by state governors if sufficient safeguards are not built into the law.
According to Obi, for state policing to become a genuine solution to Nigeria’s security challenges rather than a political gamble, the legislation must not only empower states to establish police forces but also create independent oversight institutions. He argued that a state-level Police Service Commission, free from executive interference, is necessary to ensure policing serves the public interest instead of the ruling elite.
However, Akpabio’s Media Aide, Tijani Mustapha, dismissed Obi’s concerns, insisting that the former presidential candidate had criticised a bill he apparently did not read.
In a post on X, Mustapha said Obi’s observations showed that he “clearly didn’t read the bill as passed,” maintaining that the legislation already addressed the issue of an independent state police service commission.
He added, “I know this because his major concern of the creation of an independent state police service commission was duly addressed in the bill.
“For a man who doesn’t know the meaning of KPI, one again wonders what this individual’s mental capacities are.”
