Senator Nwankwo has cautioned against rushing the State Police Bill ahead of the 2027 elections, stressing that proper safeguards must come first.
He noted that the National Assembly has only a short time left to deliver on its promise to amend key parts of the Constitution. One critical area, the Special Seats for Women Representation Bill, remains stalled, even though women make up less than four percent of the National Assembly. Nwankwo described the situation as embarrassing and argued that this bill deserves more urgency than the State Police proposal.
On state police, he said any move to create the agency must include strong measures to prevent abuse by governors and political actors. Lessons from recent elections, particularly in Osun State, show how security agencies can be misused for partisan purposes. Without clear independence in funding, appointments, and operations, the risk of multiple layers of abuse across states is real.
Nwankwo also pointed to weaknesses in the Electoral Act that allow manual transmission of results when electronic systems fail. He urged Nigerians to demand full implementation of electronic transmission and to prepare to protect their votes in future elections.
