A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Friday warned against the establishment of state police.
Dogara warned that establishment of state police would enable governors to build militias in their domains.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Inside Source with Laolu Akande, the former Speaker described as “laughable” the calls for state police.
He also accused governors of mismanaging state-controlled electoral commissions to have their way during local government elections.
Dogara said, “Look at this country, what is it that has been outsourced to a state that has been properly managed?
“Look at how the state electoral commissions have turned out to be. If I were a governor and I wanted to be a pretentious democrat, I can even say three, four, or five local governments are less consequential to me; let me cede them to oppositions but when they (governors) run these elections, the ruling parties take 100% of the local government chairmen seat.
“If we have state police, what will play out is that we will be giving a hangman the free man to hang, we will enable state governors to build militias.
“They control 100% state assemblies, they control 100% magistrates, area court justices and even the state high court.
“So, when you now reinforce that or strengthen that with the state police, you are making them a judge in their own case, which even runs counter to the principle of democracy.
“What will happen is that if you disagree with your governor, you dare not go home. The state police then becomes a militia used to rig elections by the sitting governors.”
Govs will turn state police to militia – ex-Reps Speaker Dogara
