Senator Garba Maidoki, who represents the Kebbi South Senatorial District, has raised concerns over the proposed State Police Bill before the National Assembly, describing the legislation as suspicious and politically motivated, while vowing to oppose its passage in its current form.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Maidoki, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), questioned both the timing and the process surrounding the proposed constitutional amendment, arguing that lawmakers had been denied adequate time to scrutinise the 146-page draft before its consideration.
The senator said although the principle of state policing was not inherently flawed, Nigeria had failed to effectively implement existing laws, raising doubts about the effectiveness of introducing new legislation. 
“Some of us that have worked in multinational companies always want best practices to be brought home. The principles in themselves are not bad, but what we are saying is that we have laws already. Let us practise what we have first so that we can see the difference and identify the gaps,” he said.
According to Maidoki, there was no guarantee that the provisions of the proposed law would be implemented when existing laws and constitutional provisions had largely remained ineffective.
He criticised the handling of the bill by the National Assembly, alleging that lawmakers were given the voluminous document only shortly before its scheduled passage.
“This is a 146-page draft bill. Good practice requires that after a public hearing, the final draft should be shown to those who made presentations so they can determine whether their views were captured and, if not, why they were excluded,” he said.
Maidoki lamented that only members of the National Assembly had access to the document and argued that the bill was being rushed through without adequate consultation.
“The only people who have this document are members of the National Assembly. We were given this thing today, and tomorrow, whether we like it or not, it will be passed. No senator can stand up against it,” he said.
The lawmaker, however, insisted that he and like-minded colleagues would oppose the bill despite what he described as an inevitable outcome.
“We are going to go against it because it is unprincipled. But I can guarantee you that whether we attend or we do not attend, this bill will be passed tomorrow,” he stated.
Maidoki also questioned President Bola Tinubu’s push for state police at this stage of his administration, suggesting that the proposal was linked to political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“If the president wanted to fight insecurity, why did he wait until the year of the election? We have been crying and complaining for three years. Now, with less than one year to the election, it is the time you want to change the Constitution, implement the bill and make Nigeria safe,” he said.
The senator acknowledged that it was better to address insecurity late than never but maintained that the timing of the bill raised legitimate concerns.
“It is very suspicious. I need to take this document to my constituents and legal experts to examine it and tell me what is right and what is wrong,” he added.
Maidoki revealed that the bill would likely have been passed earlier if not for the death of a member of the National Assembly, which delayed proceedings.
The senator further accused the National Assembly of passing laws that serve the interests of a few individuals rather than the broader Nigerian public.
“I have come to the conclusion that every law the National Assembly has made was designed to meet the interests of specific individuals or specific interests, not Nigerians,” he said.
He described the legislative process surrounding
the bill as embarrassing and inconsistent with democratic standards, alleging that lawmakers were expected to approve large sections of the document without thorough debate.
“I cannot understand how a 146-page document can be handled by simply turning pages from four to ten, ten to twenty, and so on. It is a shame in a committee of civilised nations,” Maidoki said.
The proposed State Police Bill is an executive bill which is part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture amid growing concerns over insecurity across the country.
