The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has reaffirmed its longstanding support for the establishment of state police but criticized the Tinubu administration's handling of the proposed constitutional amendment, describing the process as rushed, reactionary, and incapable of addressing Nigeria's immediate security challenges.

In a statement issued today, the party said decentralised policing remains an important structural reform that aligns with Nigeria's federal system. However, it warned that the current push to establish state police appears to be driven more by political urgency than by the careful institutional planning required to build an effective and accountable policing framework.

According to the ADC, the security of Nigerians is too important to be treated as a quick legislative exercise or hurried through the National Assembly without the extensive public consultation and stakeholder engagement that a constitutional reform of such magnitude requires.

The party noted that state police is not a new concept, pointing out that decentralised policing has featured prominently in Nigeria's constitutional and political discourse for decades and enjoys broad national support.

"It is misleading to present state police as a bold new initiative or a silver bullet for the country's worsening insecurity," the party said, adding that while the reform has long-term benefits, it cannot by itself resolve the current security emergency confronting the nation.

The ADC argued that the apparent haste with which the administration is pursuing the constitutional amendment raises questions about its motivations, suggesting that the move is aimed at creating the impression of decisive action rather than laying the foundation for sustainable security reform.

The party also questioned why an administration that claims to support state police waited until the latter part of its tenure before accelerating efforts to amend the Constitution.

Beyond legislation, the ADC stressed that creating state police requires far more than constitutional amendments. It identified recruitment, vetting, professional training, equipment, sustainable funding, command structures, operational guidelines, and independent oversight as essential components of any successful policing system.

According to the party, these institutional structures cannot be assembled overnight, particularly as the country approaches another election cycle.

The ADC further observed that terrorists, kidnappers, bandits, and other criminal groups will not suspend their activities while new policing institutions are being established, making it unrealistic to portray state police as an immediate solution to Nigeria's security crisis.

The party also raised concerns about critical governance issues that remain unresolved within the proposed framework. Among the questions it believes require clear answers are the safeguards that will prevent state police from becoming instruments of political intimidation, the mechanisms for ensuring independent oversight, and the systems that will regulate recruitment, deployment, discipline, and funding.

It also called for accompanying reforms to Nigeria's prosecution system, correctional services, forensic capacity, intelligence coordination, and other components of the criminal justice system, arguing that these are indispensable to building a professional and accountable policing architecture.

The ADC warned against presenting state police as a substitute for comprehensive reform of the Nigeria Police Force.

According to the party, the federal police will continue to bear primary responsibility for national security, counterterrorism, interstate crime, and intelligence coordination. It argued that establishing another policing layer without addressing the structural deficiencies of the existing Nigeria Police Force would merely duplicate existing weaknesses instead of improving overall security effectiveness.

Reaffirming its own policy position, the ADC said its manifesto supports a multi-layered policing framework comprising federal, state, and community policing with clearly defined jurisdictions, enforceable national standards, independent oversight mechanisms, and stronger community intelligence systems.

The party maintained that effective policing alone cannot guarantee national security, emphasizing that a functional security architecture must also include efficient courts, modern correctional services, professional prosecution, advanced forensic capabilities, intelligence coordination, technological innovation, and accountable public institutions working together.

According to the ADC, this integrated approach represents the type of comprehensive security framework an ADC-led government would pursue.

The party concluded by urging the Federal Government to prioritize institution-building over political optics, insisting that Nigerians deserve carefully designed reforms capable of delivering lasting security rather than measures intended primarily to create favourable public perception.

While reaffirming its support for initiatives that genuinely strengthen Nigeria's security architecture, the ADC said it would continue to oppose what it described as attempts to replace the difficult work of building effective institutions with political theatre.