The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has opposed ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to establish state police.

The party argued that the current administration lacks the credibility and public trust required to undertake such a significant reform.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the National Chairman of the party, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, expressed concern over what he described as plans by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to push for the creation of state police despite widespread concerns about the country’s security situation.

The PRP acknowledged the need for comprehensive reforms of Nigeria’s security architecture but said the present government has failed to effectively manage existing security institutions.

According to the party, Nigeria requires a major review and overhaul of its security and law enforcement systems to address growing insecurity and restore public confidence in critical institutions.

The statement, however, argued that the proposed establishment of state police under the current administration raises suspicions, insisting that the move should not proceed at this time.

“The APC administration has failed to manage our security structure and institutions. Its plan to engineer the emergence of state police is suspicious and it should be rejected,” the statement said.

The opposition party further contended that any decision on the creation of state police should be deferred until after the next general election, which it said should serve as a test of credibility and public confidence in the nation’s democratic process.

“The forthcoming election should be a threshold which should be crossed with credibility and popular acclaim before the nation decides on important issues such as state police structures,” Baba-Ahmed stated.

The party urged the Federal Government to focus on addressing the country’s security challenges and improving the safety of citizens rather than pursuing structural changes to the policing system.

It called on the administration to intensify efforts towards ending insecurity and alleviating what it described as the “nightmare” faced by many Nigerians.

The debate over the establishment of state police has gained renewed attention in the last couple of weeks, with proponents arguing that decentralised policing would improve local intelligence gathering and response to security threats, while critics fear it could be abused by state governments for political purposes.