Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, has launched a blistering attack on President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the ongoing debate on state policing, arguing that it is illogical to trust one individual with the Nigeria Police Force while claiming elected governors cannot be trusted with state police.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Adebayo turned one of the strongest arguments against state police back on the Federal Government.
“If we don’t trust the governor, why should we trust the president?” he asked.
According to the presidential candidate, critics who argue that governors would abuse state police powers should first explain why the same concern does not apply to the President, who already exercises enormous influence over the federal police.
“History shows that governments use the police,” Adebayo said,adding , “If that is the argument, why haven’t we abolished the presidency or the federal police?”
His comments come as the National Assembly considers constitutional amendments to establish state police, including proposals that funding for the new security outfits should be deducted directly from states’ federal allocations—a move many observers believe could amount to indirect federal control.
Rejecting the suggestion that states are incapable of managing their own police, Adebayo argued that the current arrangement contradicts the principles of federalism.
“Why should a state have a House of Assembly that makes laws and courts that interpret those laws, yet be denied the power to enforce them through its own police? It simply doesn’t make sense.”
He maintained that policing is an essential attribute of any functioning government, insisting that every tier of government should possess an enforcement mechanism corresponding to the responsibilities assigned to it under the Constitution.
For him, the solution is not to concentrate power in Abuja but to ensure that federal, state and local governments each operate police services within clearly defined constitutional limits.
Adebayo also dismissed fears that governors would inevitably misuse state police, arguing that abuse of power is not exclusive to any level of government.
“An abuse is an abuse whether it is committed by the local government, the state government or the Federal Government,” he said, adding that constitutional safeguards and democratic accountability—not excessive centralisation—should be the real protection against misconduct.
Drawing from his years of legal practice in the United States, Adebayo cited the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) as examples of highly professional sub-national police organisations, arguing that local police forces often outperform federal agencies because they understand their communities better.
He also referred to investigations following the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, noting that local authorities played a central role in uncovering many of the facts surrounding the case.
Calling on Nigeria to embrace genuine federalism, Adebayo declared that the country must stop treating state policing as a dangerous experiment.
“We need to grow up. Once we say we are a federation—the very first word in our Constitution—we should behave like one.”
On the proposal to deduct funding for state police directly from federal allocations, Adebayo said such constitutional arrangements already exist, pointing to the direct funding mechanism for the judiciary as an example of how financial independence can be protected without undermining state authority.
He expressed confidence that, if established on the foundation of professionalism and the rule of law, some state police commands would eventually outperform the Nigeria Police Force in efficiency and service delivery.
Adebayo’s remarks add fresh momentum to the national conversation on restructuring Nigeria’s security architecture, while sharpening his criticism of President Tinubu’s centralised approach to governance. His central challenge remains pointed: if Nigerians can trust one president with nationwide police powers, why should they refuse to trust governors elected by the same people with policing their own states?
