Constitution Review : 3 North Central Govs Advocate State Police, Restructuring

Governors from three North-Central states have renewed calls for the creation of state police, sweeping electoral reforms, and deeper federal restructuring, as part of the ongoing efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution.

The Governors of Benue, Hyacinth Alia,
Plateau, Caleb Mutfwang and Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa states presented the proposals at a public hearing organized by the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the Constitution in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

The session brought together political leaders, civil society actors, legal experts, and traditional rulers from Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory.

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, represented by the Attorney General Fidelis Mnyim, said the limitations on governors to command security agencies have made it nearly impossible to address insecurity at the grassroots level.

“Governors are constitutionally tagged as Chief Security Officers but cannot give lawful directives to the Commissioner of Police or other federal security heads in their states,” Mnyim said, citing the lack of enforcement of the anti-open grazing law as a major example.

He also recommended a shift to documentary-based electoral evidence and faster judicial processes in resolving election petitions, describing the current oral-based system as outdated and prone to manipulation.

Also speaking Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, through the Justice Commissioner Philemon Daffi, stressed that localised policing would help states respond swiftly to rising threats. “No state has suffered more violence than Plateau,” Daffi said. “We support state policing as a matter of urgency.”

He also objected to proposals suggesting that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, take over local government elections, arguing that doing so would undermine the autonomy of state institutions.

In a similar tone, Nasarawa Governor Abdullahi Sule, represented by the Attorney General Isaac Danladi, said INEC’s responsibilities are overstretched and advocated the creation of a separate agency to manage political party registration and regulation.

Governor Sule also urged the National Assembly to enact a law establishing the long-proposed Electoral Offences Commission, warning that without punitive mechanisms, electoral violations would persist.

He further proposed that all general elections be held in one day to reduce financial costs, mitigate voter apathy, and streamline logistics.

However, the governor rejected the proposal for independent candidates, warning that it would “clutter the ballot, overburden INEC, and potentially destabilize the party system.”

Former Deputy Speaker and chairman of the hearing, Ahmed Idris Wase, emphasized the importance of citizen engagement in shaping Nigeria’s constitutional future. “The House of Representatives remains committed to producing a people-driven document,” he said.

Participants at the hearing, including community leaders and activists, largely supported the push for decentralised policing and electoral reforms. However, some raised concerns about the capacity of state governments to fairly manage their own police forces, citing potential for abuse.

The North-Central hearing is one of several zonal consultations being held across the country as part of the House’s efforts to gather input for the fifth alteration to the 1999 Constitution. Issues under review include devolution of powers, fiscal federalism, judiciary reform, gender equity, and local government autonomy.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji