Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has called for constitutional reforms that would strengthen the role of governors in Nigeria’s security architecture, saying the establishment of state police is necessary to tackle the country’s growing security challenges.
The governor’s position was conveyed on Tuesday by the Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government (SSG), Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei, who represented him at the First Daily Sixth Anniversary National Dialogue on Security held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
In the speech titled “Section 205 of the Nigerian Constitution and the Case for State Police,” Diri argued that the current constitutional arrangement places governors in an awkward position because they are held accountable by citizens for security without exercising direct control over security agencies operating within their states.
According to the governor, while Section 205 of the 1999 Constitution empowers the President on matters of public security, the realities of governance require governors to have clearer constitutional authority to protect lives and property in their respective states.
“This raises an important constitutional and practical question: What is the justification for denying governors corresponding authority over security when they are ultimately held responsible by their citizens for maintaining law and order?” the governor stated.
Diri said Nigeria’s federal structure should provide governors with practical security responsibilities, just as the President serves as Commander-in-Chief at the national level.
“In a federal system such as Nigeria’s, does it not make more sense for governors to have a clearer and more practical role in the security architecture?
If the President is the Commander-in-Chief at the national level, should our federal structure not provide a corresponding framework through which governors can effectively secure the people who elected them?” he said.
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The governor commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for initiating constitutional reforms, particularly proposals on state police and the devolution of powers, describing the ongoing constitutional amendment process as an opportunity to address longstanding governance challenges.
“I commend the constitutional reform process initiated under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly the proposals on the creation of state police and the devolution of certain powers.
The opportunity presented by the ongoing constitutional amendment process must be seized to address these longstanding issues,” the speech read.
While acknowledging concerns that state police could be abused, Diri maintained that such fears should not prevent necessary reforms, noting that similar challenges already exist under the current centralised policing system.
“The potential for abuse should not become an excuse for resisting necessary reforms. Rather than abandoning reform, we should focus on building strong institutions, effective accountability mechanisms and professional policing systems capable of preventing abuse regardless of who exercises authority,” he said.
Quoting 1 Corinthians 10:23, the governor argued that legality alone should not determine public policy, stressing that constitutional provisions must also reflect practical governance realities.
The address concluded with a call for reforms that would strengthen Nigeria’s federal system and equip state governments with the constitutional authority required to respond effectively to security challenges.