Tinubu, Akpabio Playing Politics With State Police — Banwo
Public commentator Dr. Ope Banwo has accused President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio of engaging in political theatrics over the long-debated issue of state police, describing recent comments on constitutional amendments as “mere choreography.”
Banwo, questioned the sincerity of the presidency and the National Assembly following reports that the President asked lawmakers to “start thinking” about amending the Constitution to accommodate state policing.
According to him, such language reflects hesitation rather than urgency in the face of what he described as a multi-layered security breakdown across the country.
“Nigeria is fighting several different security wars at the same time,” Banwo argued, citing terrorism in the North-East, banditry in forest regions, kidnapping-for-ransom networks, and violent land conflicts affecting rural communities.
He maintained that security is inherently local and cannot be effectively coordinated solely from Abuja, stressing that intelligence gathering, trust-building, and rapid response mechanisms are stronger when controlled at the state level.
Banwo further argued that if the executive truly desired constitutional reform, the National Assembly would have already begun formal legislative processes, noting that previous executive-backed reforms were passed swiftly.
“If this administration wants something, it happens quickly,” he said, suggesting that delays on state police indicate political reluctance rather than procedural difficulty.
He concluded that until a constitutional amendment bill is formally tabled and debated, recent remarks should be viewed as political positioning rather than genuine reform efforts.
