President Bola Tinubu on Thursday said that he had assured the United States and European partners that his administration would implement state police to boost security in Nigeria.
Tinubu spoke at the 14th National Caucus meeting of the APC at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, where he also insisted that local government autonomy must work in practical terms, urging governors to stop withholding funds meant for council chairpersons.
The President’s comments came amid rising security pressures across the country, renewed calls for decentralised policing, and the push to implement the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy and direct allocation to councils.
The president said he had a very long discussion with the country’s United States and European partners and assured them that state police would be used to improve security.
“I had a very long discussion with them. US and European partners, and I was bragging to them that we will definitely pass a state police bill to improve security.
“They asked me if I’m confident, and I said yes, I have a party to depend on.” I have a party that will make it happen,’ and if at this level we fail, God forbid, we will not fail,” Tinubu stated.
The President argued that the responsibility for political reconciliation and internal party cohesion rested with leaders at all levels, stressing that flexibility and tolerance were essential for stability and progress.
He also called attention to the recent Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy, urging party leaders to support its implementation and use it to strengthen grassroots governance.
According to the President, autonomy would be meaningless if councils were not adequately funded, insisting that allocations meant for local governments must go directly to them.
He insisted that allocations meant for local governments must go directly to them.
“Look at the recent Supreme Court judgement; what can we do with it, and how well can we position our country and our party?
“To me, the local government autonomy, it is and must be effective.
“There is no autonomy without a funded mandate; give them their money directly.
”That’s the truth. That’s compliance with the Supreme Court,” he said.
The president further urged party leaders to take leadership “seriously”, noting that strong governance at the local level would help stabilise communities.
Tinubu further appealed for greater inclusion of women in party leadership and participation, urging stakeholders to “make provisions” that would bring more women into the fold.
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Earlier, Vice-President Kashim Shettima emphasised the need for the APC to sustain its growing dominance across the country.
Shettima warned that maintaining success requires discipline, cohesion and careful management of internal party democracy.
The vice-president highlighted the APC’s strength across the six geopolitical zones, drawing attention to the expanding influence in states controlled by new entrants and defectors.
”Your excellencies, Rome was not destroyed by outside invaders; Rome was destroyed by the complacency of the Romans.“I wish to implore all of us to know that to succeed is much easier than to maintain that success. The whole of the South-South region is in the APC fold—the whole of the North Central. Out of the seven states in the North West, five are in the APC. Out of the six states in the South West, four are in the APC. Out of the six states in the North East, four are in the APC. Certainly, we have become a pan-Nigerian party,” said Shettima.
“I can get one state from the South-South, for instance, and discuss.
“Who are the power brokers in Delta State, for instance, besides Gov. Sheriff?
“We have the immediate vice presidential candidate of the sinking ship called PDP, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, within our fold.
“And with Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, the former Deputy President of the Senate, for God’s sake, how do you expect us to lose in Delta?
”And I can recreate the same thing in every state of the federation,” Shettima said.
He reassured governors who recently joined the APC that they had found a home in the ruling party.
Shettima also expressed delight that more politicians were eager to join the party, projecting that the ruling party would remain dominant beyond 2027.
(NAN)