Bola Tinubu has pledged that the creation of state police forces will not be postponed, insisting his administration remains committed to devolving security powers to confront Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
Speaking on Monday at an interfaith breaking of fast with governors and senior officials at the Presidential Banquet Hall in Abuja, the president sought to reassure both political allies and critics that a long-debated reform of Nigeria’s centralised policing structure was on course.
“What I promise you is not to be postponed. We will establish state police to combat insecurity,” Tinubu said during the first Iftar of the 2026 Ramadan season.
The proposal for state policing has gathered momentum amid persistent violence across parts of the country, though critics warn it could be abused by powerful state governors. Tinubu, however, framed it as a necessary step in restoring order.
He also struck an upbeat tone on the economy, declaring that Nigeria had emerged from a period of instability triggered by sweeping reforms introduced early in his presidency.
“We are out of the woods. We are out of the dark tunnel of uncertainty. The economy is showing up,” he said.
The gathering brought together members of the cabinet and governors from across party lines, underscoring Tinubu’s effort to project unity during a season that this year coincides with the Christian Lent.
In a pointed aside, the president addressed the political tensions in Kano state, where Governor Abba Yusuf recently defected from the New Nigeria People’s Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress, abandoning his political mentor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The defection has unsettled Kano’s political landscape, with reports that the state assembly may move against Deputy Governor Aminu Gwarzo, who remained in the NNPP.
“I’m glad I see Abba from Kano, even though the cap is red, it’s not different from APC,” Tinubu quipped, in a reference to the governor’s trademark attire. “I saw the crisis on TVC news, please temper justice with mercy.”
The president urged governors within his party to show tolerance and inclusivity, particularly towards younger members.
“I will advise those in the same party with me to please bear in mind that those little ones, too, they cry. Tolerate everybody… Let’s see the young ones breathe too,” he said.
Tinubu singled out Babagana Zulum of Borno for praise, commending his Ramadan outreach programmes for both Muslims and Christians as embodying “a very, very good spirit”.
He also referred to Niger state governor Mohammed Bago as “my son, the farmer from Niger”, acknowledging that his office had received both commendations and complaints from states as reforms continue to bite.
“As long as we bridge together and we move together and determine to rescue this country, the best is yet to come to Nigeria,” Tinubu said, calling for development to reach grassroots communities and local governments.
Earlier, Hope Uzodimma, speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum chairman AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, described the overlap of Ramadan and Lent as a providential reminder of unity across faiths.
“This convergence is a special situation created by God to remind us Christians and Muslims not to allow religious and ethnic differences to guide our thoughts and our political activities,” Uzodimma said.
Among those in attendance were Vice-President Kashim Shettima and the president’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside governors from Abia, Ogun, Edo, Kogi, Gombe, Sokoto, Delta, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Taraba, Ebonyi, Cross River, Plateau and Benue states.
The dinner marked the third consecutive year of Tinubu’s Ramadan Iftar for political leaders – a symbolic fixture in a presidency seeking to balance reform, reconciliation and political consolidation.
