Senate President Godswill Akpabio has revealed that approximately 30 state Houses of Assembly have endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police. He made the disclosure on Wednesday while receiving members of the Arewa Revival Project, a northern youth organisation with membership across the 19 northern states, at his office in Abuja.

Akpabio expressed confidence that the amendment process was nearing completion, adding that state police would complement existing security structures and strengthen efforts to address the country’s security challenges by bringing policing closer to communities. He said Nigeria could soon adopt a decentralised policing system, stating: “As I speak with you now, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, it may not take us a month before we have a state police system, a decentralised policing in the country, because about 30 states have endorsed the amendment to the Nigerian constitution to bring about a state police system, which will further increase the security of the nation.”

The Senate President urged the youth to remain confident in the country’s future, saying: “I always tell them that the devil that you see today, you will soon see them no more. Very soon, we shall overcome the insecurity that we face today. So, feel confident as you go round campaigning.”

Calls for 2027 Support

Akpabio urged the Arewa youths to intensify grassroots mobilisation for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, arguing that continuity in government would allow the administration’s economic reforms and security policies to produce results. He said the president had taken significant steps to diversify the economy, reform the tax system and address longstanding structural problems.

“I expect the Nigerian youth to rise above social media propaganda because this president has managed to take us out of a mono-economy, an economy that was dependent only on crude oil,” he said. “He has brought innovations to bear through the tax reform system, through tinkering with anachronistic laws.”

Akpabio claimed the administration’s performance had earned it the support of the National Assembly, declaring that lawmakers had endorsed Tinubu for a second term: “No president has achieved the level of development that he has done in this country today since independence. The naysayers will not want to say so, but I am very proud, and members of the National Assembly are very proud. We hold our heads very high and say, yes, we have given him a pass mark and that we have endorsed him to come for a second term in office.”

He said Nigeria’s continued survival amid economic and security difficulties reflected the president’s willingness to confront the country’s challenges: “I give glory to God that Nigeria is still surviving, and surviving because we have a president who thinks and somebody who wants to face challenges, and he is facing the challenges.”

Urging support for continuity, he said: “You don’t change a winning team. He is doing so well. Allow his policies to crystallise. This is not somebody who is coming to experiment. He is already doing it.”

Warning on Online Criticism

Akpabio also emphasised the importance of youth participation in national development, saying government policies should create a stable foundation for future generations: “Whatever we are doing today, we are doing it to stabilise your future and ensure the survival of Nigeria. So, it is good that you are seeing it.”

He warned that the youth could face considerable challenges countering criticism of the administration on social media, alleging that some individuals attacking the president and his supporters online are being paid to do so: “It is not going to be easy for you because most of those who are attacking the president and attacking these young men on social media are being paid. You are not being paid.”

He advised the youth to organise periodic grassroots engagements to explain government policies and challenge misinformation rather than attempting to compete continuously with critics on social media: “You may not be able to have the kind of energy and time with them. But once in a while, gather the youth together and let them see the truth and know the truth.”

He added: “Attacking a government that is working well for them, trying to bring uncertainty, is not the best.”