Why Tinubu, Governors Are Looking For State Police Before 2027 Election – Buba Galadima

A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Buba Galadima, has alleged that both President Bola Tinubu and state governors are seeking state police ahead of elections to use the outfit against political opponents, disrupt elections and kill democracy.

Naija News reports that Galadima, during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday morning, argued that the push for state police is not primarily driven by the need to tackle insecurity.

He further cautioned against the creation of state police, stressing that the proposed security structure could be abused for political purposes and threaten Nigeria’s unity.

He said, “Nobody ever conceived the idea of state police to sort out security. If the Nigerian Police and the Nigerian military cannot solve security situations in Nigeria, I wonder how the state police would be able to do that.

“All that we know is that the President and the governors are looking for state police before the elections so that they use them as political forces to attack the opposition, disrupt elections and kill democracy.”

Buba Galadima also recalled the era of the Native Authority Police in northern Nigeria, noting that it was used to suppress opposition politicians.

According to the NDC chieftain, the misuse of the Native Authority Police contributed to the displacement of many people from parts of northern Nigeria, warning that state police could deepen ethnic and religious divisions if recruitment were dominated by a single group within a state.

He added, “When elections approached, the Native Authority Police would gather opposition elements in their jurisdiction and lock them up on different allegations. That was how the system was abused.

“Most Hausa people you see across Africa and Nigeria were expelled by the Native Authority Police in states like Kano and Katsina. They had to run for their dear lives.

“State police could be used to destroy the unity of this country. It will create more problems, more division and more suspicion than solutions.”