President Bola Tinubu on Friday night urged members of the House of Representatives to urgently consider constitutional amendments that would pave the way for the establishment of state police.
He stressed that while decentralising the country’s security architecture is necessary, any reform must be carefully structured to prevent abuse as witnessed in the past.
Tinubu made the call during an interfaith breaking of fast hosted for the leadership and members of the House at the State House, Abuja. The event brought together Muslim and Christian lawmakers during the Ramadan and Lenten seasons in what he described as a symbol of unity.
“If security is local, we just have to work together to put pressure on our public to accept the need for state police,” the President said.
“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.”
The President’s remarks signal a renewed push for constitutional reform aimed at devolving policing powers, a long-debated issue in Nigeria’s political discourse.
He described the gathering as a reflection of national cohesion across party, religious and regional lines, adding that unity remains essential to governance.
In a lighter moment, Tinubu joked about asking lawmakers to pay for the dinner before commending Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for his leadership and the House for its cooperation with the executive.
Reflecting on the early days of his administration, the President expressed appreciation for the legislature’s support during the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira.
“With the heat from the critics, none of you came to me to say, can you reverse the removal of subsidy or change the foreign exchange policy. You gave me the inspiration to move on,” he said.
On security challenges, Tinubu noted that lawmakers, as grassroots representatives, are often directly confronted by constituents over local threats.
“Now you know, more than anybody else, that security is local,” he said.
Earlier, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas reaffirmed the House’s bipartisan support for the President’s policies.
“Every member you see here, whether from the majority or minority, believes in the direction of this government,” Abbas said, expressing confidence that the administration’s reforms would yield greater results in the coming years.
The event marked the third in a series of interfaith Ramadan engagements hosted by the President for political leaders.
Deji Elumoye
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