President Bola Tinubu has charged state governors to pass the state police bill into law to enable the government effectively tackle insecurity.
In his comments at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting at the Conference Center of the Presidential Villa on Thursday, the President also urged the party leadership to ensure the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.
The President said “You have to navigate this country, whether we like it or not, you are in the leadership position that must yield and continue to promote, tolerate and be flexible. Get involved in whatever is happening in your various states, up to local government level. I had a very long discussion with the US and European. I was bragging to them that definitely we will pass a state police to improve security.
“They asked me if I’m confident, and I said, Yes, I have a party to depend on. Have a party that will make it happen. And if at this level we fail, God forbid, we will not fail. I think the reconciliation, the accommodation, the flexibility, is in your hand, all of you, and we are the majority. We are the leaders.
“Let us equally look at the recent Supreme Court judgment. What can we do with it, and how well we can position our country and our party? To me, the local government autonomy, it is and must be effective. Let us give them. There is no autonomy without funded mandate; we will give them their money directly. That’s the truth. That’s compliance of the Supreme Court. Take the leadership seriously.”
The President equally noted that there were few women in the caucus meeting calling on the party’s leadership to work around the possibility of expanding women participation on subsequent meetings.
Vice President Kashin Shettima who the President officially mandated to speak on his behalf said the party so far have 28 governors on its platform including the ones who recently joined from the opposition.
He said with the calibre of politicians in the APC ‘s fold across the six geographic zones of the country, winning the 2027 elections would not be a problem.
The National Chairman of the APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, in his comments thanked the President, his Vice and the leadership of the National Assembly as well as the governors for their support since he took over the party’s leadership.
He said the party was supporting the President with robust membership drive and significant defection from the opposition party into the ruling party adding that the APC now has a commanding majority in the National Assembly.
He said the party has continued to promote internal democracy even as he appealed to the stakeholders for continuous support. He reported that the party recorded 80 percent success in recent bye elections in the country.
Chairman of the APC Governors Forum and the Imo state governors, Hope Uzodinma said the caucus commended the President for the performances witnessed since 2023 with his bold economic policies.
He equally commended Tinubu for declaring emergency on insecurity and for the cordial working relationship between the Federal Government and the sub-nationals.
