Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has expressed support for the establishment of state police, saying governors across the country are ready to give speedy approval to the constitutional amendment to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
Governor Oyebanji stated this on Wednesday while speaking with State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He was accompanied by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.
The governor said the proposal had already received the backing of the National Economic Council, with most states submitting their positions, adding that governors were awaiting the transmission of the constitutional amendment to their respective State Houses of Assembly.
According to him, once transmitted, governors are committed to ensuring its speedy approval to pave the way for the implementation of state police.
On his re-election, Oyebanji attributed his historic second-term victory to the grace of God and the support of President Tinubu, saying the president’s backing enabled his administration to fulfil its promises to the people of Ekiti State.
The governor also pledged to run an inclusive administration, revealing that he had reached out to his fellow governorship candidates after the election and would continue to engage them, stressing that politics had ended and governance must now take priority.
He added that his second term would remain guided by Ekiti State’s 30-year development plan, which serves as the foundation for the state’s budget and development agenda.
On the 2027 general election, Oyebanji expressed confidence that President Tinubu would record an even stronger performance in Ekiti State, citing the steady increase in the APC’s votes from about 187,000 in the 2022 governorship election to over 210,000 in the 2023 presidential election and approximately 318,000 in the just-concluded governorship poll.
Also speaking, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele acknowledged concerns that some governors could abuse state police but assured Nigerians that adequate safeguards were being incorporated into the constitutional amendment to minimise such risks.
He explained that while not every safeguard could be contained in the Constitution, further provisions would be included in amendments to the Police Act to clearly define the operational framework for state police.
Bamidele described state police as “a child of necessity,” insisting that the initiative was no longer about politics but a national response to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
He expressed confidence that State Houses of Assembly across the country would give the constitutional amendment swift approval once it is transmitted.
Editor:Ada Ononye
