President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has disclosed that about 30 state Houses of Assembly have endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria.
Akpabio spoke on Wednesday when members of the Arewa Revival Project, a northern youth organisation with membership across the 19 northern states, visited him at his office in Abuja.
He expressed optimism that the amendment process was nearing completion, arguing that decentralised policing would complement existing security structures and strengthen efforts to tackle insecurity across the country.
According to the Senate President, bringing policing closer to communities would improve law enforcement agencies’ capacity to respond to security threats.
“As I speak with you now, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, it may not take us a month before we have a state police system, a decentralised policing in the country, because about 30 states have endorsed the amendment to the Nigerian Constitution to bring about a state police system, which will further increase the security of the nation,” he said.
Akpabio also urged members of the group to mobilise grassroots support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, arguing that continuity in government would allow the administration’s economic reforms and security policies to yield results.
He called on Nigerian youths to look beyond what he described as paid social media propaganda against the administration, saying Tinubu had taken steps to diversify the economy, reform the tax system and address longstanding structural challenges.
“I expect the Nigerian youth to rise above social media propaganda because this president has managed to take us out of a mono-economy, an economy that was dependent only on crude oil,” Akpabio said.
“He has brought innovations to bear through the tax reform system, through tinkering with anachronistic laws.”
The Senate President expressed confidence that Nigeria would overcome its security challenges, urging the youths to remain hopeful about the country’s future and support efforts to restore peace and stability.
“I always tell them that the devil that you see today, you will soon see them no more. Very soon, we shall overcome the insecurity that we face today. So, feel confident as you go round campaigning,” he said.
Akpabio maintained that decentralised policing could strengthen national security by improving the ability of law enforcement agencies to respond to threats within their respective communities.
Akpabio calls for support for Tinubu’s re-election
The Senate President urged the Arewa youths to mobilise support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, saying the administration needed more time to consolidate its policies.
He said the President had taken steps to move Nigeria away from its longstanding dependence on crude oil revenues and introduce reforms aimed at repositioning the economy.
Akpabio also claimed that the administration’s performance had earned it the support of the National Assembly, saying lawmakers had endorsed Tinubu for a second term.
“No president has achieved the level of development that he has done in this country today since independence. The naysayers will not want to say so, but I am very proud, and members of the National Assembly are very proud,” he said.
“We hold our heads very high and say, yes, we have given him a pass mark and that we have endorsed him to come for a second term in office.”
Akpabio attributed Nigeria’s continued survival amid economic and security difficulties to what he described as the President’s willingness to confront the country’s challenges.
“I give glory to God that Nigeria is still surviving, and surviving because we have a president who thinks and somebody who wants to face challenges, and he is facing the challenges,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to support continuity in government, arguing that changing the administration before its policies had fully taken effect could undermine progress.
“You don’t change a winning team. He is doing so well. Allow his policies to crystallise. This is not somebody who is coming to experiment. He is already doing it,” Akpabio said.
He added that government policies should provide a stable foundation for future generations and support the country’s long-term development.
“Whatever we are doing today, we are doing it to stabilise your future and ensure the survival of Nigeria. So, it is good that you are seeing it,” he said.
Senate president warns against social media propaganda
Akpabio also warned the youths that challenging criticism of the administration on social media would be difficult, alleging that some individuals attacking the President and his supporters online were being paid.
“It is not going to be easy for you because most of those who are attacking the President and attacking these young men on social media are being paid. You are not being paid,” he alleged.
He advised the youths to organise periodic grassroots engagements to explain government policies and counter what they consider misinformation, rather than attempting to compete constantly with critics on social media.
“You may not be able to have the kind of energy and time with them. But once in a while, gather the youth together and let them see the truth and know the truth,” he said.
Akpabio added that efforts to create uncertainty by criticising a government were not in the public interest.
“Attacking a government that is working well for them, trying to bring uncertainty, is not the best,” he said.
