The Action Democratic Party (ADP) has issued a strong warning to northern governors, urging them to reconsider their support for the creation of state police. The party argued that establishing state-controlled security agencies would weaken Nigeria’s national security architecture and expose citizens to greater danger.

In a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja and signed by the national publicity secretary, Dr. Sani Dawop, the ADP described the growing push for state police as a misleading narrative being sold as a solution to the country’s security crisis.

“This position is misguided, dangerous, and a direct threat to national stability in the absence of an agreed constitutional framework to regulate these state policing outfits,” the statement said. “Let’s not put the cart before the horse. Weakening the federal security structure and empowering sub-national political actors with armed police formations will not enhance public safety.”

The party went on to label the state police campaign as “a carefully packaged scam,” alleging that its promoters are aware that the intended beneficiaries would be political elites—not ordinary Nigerians.

According to the ADP, many state governments, especially in the North, have failed to manage their existing responsibilities effectively, even as insecurity worsened under their watch. The party also accused governors of repeatedly abusing political power, citing the controversial conduct of local government elections where ruling parties routinely sweep all positions.

“To now place weapons, command structures, and coercive authority in the hands of these same political actors is to invite state-sponsored intimidation, expanded corruption, heightened ethnic tensions, and potentially political militias,” the party warned. “This proposal does not decentralize security; it politicizes force and risks turning states into fragmented enclaves under partisan control.”

The ADP further noted that most states already operate various security outfits established by law, with little visible improvement in safety or crime prevention.

The party cautioned that adopting state police without broad consultation and a solid constitutional foundation could lead to swift and severe consequences. It warned of biased policing, political witch-hunts, deepened ethnic and religious fault lines, and the possible escalation of banditry and terrorism into state-enabled violence. Such outcomes, it said, would pose unprecedented threats to Nigeria’s unity and institutional stability.

As an alternative, the ADP called for a comprehensive national security conference to examine the modalities and implications of state policing alongside other pressing security issues. It urged the government to focus on strengthening federal law enforcement agencies, investing in intelligence, improving inter-agency cooperation, and enforcing accountability at all levels.

The party also suggested reforming private security operations to handle some functions currently performed by state security outfits, thereby increasing public confidence.

“No governor who has turned local administration into a personal fiefdom can be trusted with a police force without necessary reforms,” the statement added.

The ADP encouraged civil society groups, labour unions, traditional institutions, and all patriotic Nigerians to reject what it described as a dangerous proposal. It urged citizens to demand genuine security solutions that prioritise national interest, unity, and public safety over political ambition.

“Nigeria must not sleepwalk into constitutional chaos,” the party warned. “We must resist this scam before it leads us into a disaster that will consume us all.”