Tinubu To Reps: Amend Constitution For State Police, Guard Against Abuse

—Speaker Abbas pledges bipartisan support, backs President’s direction

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu on Friday night urged members of the House of Representatives to urgently consider tinkering with the constitution for the establishment of state police, insisting that such reforms must be structured to prevent abuse as witnessed in the past.

The President made the appeal at an interfaith breaking of fast he hosted for the leadership and members of the House of Representatives at the presidential Villa, Abuja.

At the breaking of fast, Muslim and Christian lawmakers gathered in a symbolic show of unity during the Ramadan and Lenten seasons.

Friday’s interfaith breaking of fast was the third in its series, following the one hosted by the President for all state governors on Monday and for the leadership and members of the Senate on Wednesday.

Describing the turnout as a reflection of national cohesion, President Tinubu said the gathering underscored the importance of unity across party, religious and regional lines.

“It’s a very great honour for me to imagine this beautiful turnout to share in the joy of breaking of the fast both for the Muslims and Christians alike. You don’t celebrate anything else, but this unity given to us by Almighty God,” the President said.

In a light-hearted remark, Tinubu joked about asking the lawmakers to pay for the dinner, before commending the Speaker for his leadership and the House for its cooperation with the executive arm.

“I thought I will charge you to pay for the dinner, but nevertheless, you indirectly paid for it. You spoke very well. You spoke as a team leader, a very good leader, and I’m happy to listen to you,” he said, praising the “richness” and “consciousness” of the representation in the chamber.

Reflecting on the early days of his administration, the President expressed appreciation to the lawmakers for standing by his reform agenda, particularly during the difficult period following the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira.

“It was very difficult at the beginning for people to realize the direction of my thinking. But I’m glad one thing didn’t happen; with the heat from the critics, none of you came to me to say, can you reverse the removal of subsidy, or can you change the foreign exchange flotation of naira? None of you”, he said.

According to him, the National Assembly’s backing at a time of intense public criticism provided the necessary encouragement to push ahead with policies he described as foundational to the country’s economic recovery.

“You collaborated, you joined together as a team. You just gave me the inspiration to move on, because the heat was high voltage from the critics, but today, we are better off for it,” Tinubu added.

On security, the President acknowledged ongoing challenges across parts of the country and noted that lawmakers, as grassroots representatives, are often directly confronted by constituents over local security issues.

“I see some of you on television going to your localities and face challenges. Now you know, more than anybody else, that security is local”, he said.

Making a strong case for state policing, Tinubu argued that decentralising security architecture is essential to effectively tackle emerging threats, but cautioned against a wholesale or poorly structured approach.

“If security is local, we just have to work together to put pressure on our public to accept the need for state police.

“Amend it, not a straight free fall for everybody. Tie it in a way that will not be abused, like in the past. A good legislature must learn from the past to cure the present. On that, I’m ready to work with you”, he said.

The President’s remarks signal a renewed push for constitutional reform aimed at devolving policing powers, an issue that has remained contentious in national discourse for years.

Earlier in his remarks, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, who led his colleagues to the dinner, reaffirmed the legislature’s support for the President’s policies and leadership.

“Every member you see here, whether from the majority or from the minority, believes in what you are doing, believes in the direction of this government,” Abbas said.

He noted that the administration’s reforms were beginning to yield results and expressed confidence that greater achievements lay ahead.

“By the grace of God, things have started flowing, but I believe we have not even started seeing the best of you. The best of you will come in the next mandate, 2027 to 2031”, the Speaker said.