The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has rejected ongoing efforts to establish state police in Nigeria, arguing that the current administration lacks the credibility and capacity to implement such a far-reaching security reform.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the party’s National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, acknowledged the urgent need to reform Nigeria’s security architecture but maintained that the proposed decentralisation of policing should not proceed under the present government.

According to the PRP, while Nigeria requires comprehensive reforms to address worsening insecurity and strengthen law enforcement institutions, the Federal Government has failed to effectively manage the existing security framework.

The party contended that introducing state police at this stage raises concerns about the administration’s motives and ability to implement the reform fairly.

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“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 read.

The PRP argued that decisions of such national importance should be postponed until after the next general election, which it said should first demonstrate credibility and restore public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.

According to Baba-Ahmed, the outcome of the forthcoming election should determine whether the country is prepared to undertake major constitutional and security reforms.

“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,” he stated.

The opposition party urged the Federal Government to concentrate on tackling Nigeria’s immediate security challenges rather than pursuing structural changes to the policing system.

It called on the administration to intensify efforts to combat banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and other violent crimes, while improving the safety and welfare of citizens across the country.

The PRP’s position comes amid ongoing national debate over the proposed State Police Bill, which recently secured Senate approval and is designed to decentralise policing powers. Supporters argue that state police would improve intelligence gathering and enhance community-based security, while critics fear the system could be vulnerable to political abuse by state governments.