Tinubu Insists State Police, LG Autonomy Must Work, Seeks Governors’ Support
The calls for state police have grown louder amid rising security challenges in Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu has urged governors, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and other governors, to support the proposal for the establishment of state police and implementation of local government autonomy.
Tinubu made the call at the 14th meeting of the APC National Caucus held in Abuja on Thursday.
He asked governors to back the judgment of the Supreme Court on local government autonomy.
According to him, it is not enough that the court has passed the judgment; allocations for local government councils must reach them directly.
President Tinubu also called for greater inclusion of women in the APC National Caucus to ensure gender balance.
The calls for state police have grown louder amid rising security challenges in Nigeria.
In his opening address, the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yelwata, announced the defection of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.
Yelwata, who is from Plateau, said with the defection of Governor Mutfwang, the entire North Central region is now governed by the APC.
The governor was elected under the PDP in the 2023 general elections and becomes the latest high-profile politician to dump the main opposition party.
As part of the party’s expansion drive, the APC gave a January 30, 2026 ultimatum for all members to do their electronic membership registration.
The party’s chairman said the activation of electronic membership registration system, which had already started, would enhance transparency, data integrity and internal democracy.
“We’ve done training at the state level, we’ve done a zonal level, we’ve done a local government in most of the states. And I want to urge our stakeholders to support the nationwide rollout of this noble activity.
“Let us use the opportunity to assure all the new members that they have all the rights and privileges within the party, to urge them to capitalize on the nationwide membership registration, to register their supporters. So both the old and new members should go to the portal and register all their members.
“We expect that this drive should be done from now to January ending, 30th of January. All members must have registered and prepared for our congresses that will come ahead,” he said.
