Tijani Mustapha, a Media Aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has questioned the “mental capabilities” of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) given his criticism.of the state police bill.
Mustapha argued that Obi didn’t read the bill before criticising it.
The former Anambra State governor had faulted the speed with which the National Assembly passed the bill, adding, that it did not follow proper legislative procedures, thereby fueling suspicion among many observers about the political motives behind it.
Obi also lamented that the mechanism for passing the law appears highly disorganised, with no public hearing. He also highlighted the widespread fear that state police forces could become instruments in the hands of governors.
Obi added that for state policing to evolve from a risky political gamble into a genuine security solution, the law must not only permit states to establish police forces but also clearly provide for independent oversight bodies, such as a state-level Police Service Commission that is entirely free from executive influence, to ensure that policing serves the public interest rather than the interests of the ruling elite.
Reacting, Akpabio’s aide stated on X that Obi’s post shows that he “clearly didn’t read the bill as passed.”
He added, “I know this because his major concern of the creation of an independent state police service commission was duly addressed in the bill.
“For a man who doesn’t know the meaning of KPI, one again wonders what this individual’s mental capacities are.”
(Ripples)