The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has declared that it does not trust the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to oversee the creation of state police, warning that the proposed reform could be mismanaged under the current government.

The party’s National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, in a statement on Thursday expressed concern over plans by the Federal Government to establish state police through constitutional amendment.

The PRP acknowledged the need for comprehensive reforms of Nigeria’s security and law enforcement institutions but argued that the current administration lacks the credibility and public trust required to undertake such a fundamental restructuring of the country’s policing system.

According to the party, while Nigeria urgently needs improvements in its security architecture to address rising insecurity and strengthen citizens’ confidence in government institutions, the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration has not demonstrated the competence needed to implement state policing.

“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 party said.

The PRP noted that President Tinubu’s administration may ultimately secure the constitutional amendments required to create state police but insisted that Nigerians should be wary of the proposal.

It argued that the government lacks the moral assets and the trust of citizens to undertake a major shift in the nation’s policing structure at a time when public confidence in government institutions is low.

The party advised that the next general election should serve as a test of the government’s credibility before the country embarks on major constitutional and governance 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,” the statement added.

PRP urged the Federal Government to channel more efforts toward addressing insecurity and protecting lives and property, saying Nigerians continue to grapple with widespread security challenges across the country.