Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has criticised the renewed push for state police, alleging that the proposal is driven more by political considerations than by efforts to address Nigeria’s security challenges.
According to Daily Post, Galadima made the remarks during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. He accused President Bola Tinubu and some state governors of backing the initiative with the 2027 general elections in mind.
Galadima argued that creating state police could worsen existing security problems and increase the risk of political interference if the proposed force is not adequately insulated from abuse.
He also questioned the effectiveness of decentralised policing, noting that the country’s existing security agencies continue to face challenges in tackling insecurity.
“Nobody ever conceived the idea of state police to sort out our security challenge. If the Nigerian police and the Nigerian military can’t solve the security situation in the country, I wonder how the state police would be able to do that,” he said.
Galadima further warned that state-controlled policing could lead to inconsistencies in security coordination and deepen existing institutional challenges within Nigeria’s security architecture.
