President Bola Tinubu’s decision to retain the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, despite the recent overhaul of the nation’s security leadership, has stirred controversy across political circles, drawing mixed reactions from opposition leaders and political parties.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to Nivo News, prominent political figures have expressed divergent views on the President’s move, with some describing it as an exercise of constitutional authority, while others questioned the rationale behind extending Egbetokun’s tenure despite reaching the official retirement age.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Chief Bode George, urged the Federal Government to shift focus from appointments to the establishment of state police, which he described as the only sustainable solution to Nigeria’s deepening insecurity.

Speaking in a recent interview, George stated that while President Tinubu has the constitutional prerogative to appoint or retain service chiefs, such decisions alone would not resolve the country’s fundamental security challenges.

“I don’t know if retaining the IGP has ethnic undertones,” he remarked. “The British left us two major problems — religion and tribalism — and to this day, we still view national decisions through those divisive lenses.”

The retired Navy Commodore, however, commended the President’s latest reshuffle among service chiefs, describing it as fairly balanced across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones. He suggested that political considerations might have influenced the President’s decision to retain Egbetokun, noting that the police chief “escaped the broom that swept away others.”

George lamented the decline of unity and professionalism within the military since its involvement in politics, saying the institution lost its camaraderie when officers began pursuing political ambitions. He emphasized that the restoration of professionalism and the creation of state police were crucial to addressing insecurity.

“Policing must be local,” he said. “When states have their own police, officers will be drawn from their communities, understand the language, culture, and people — that’s how effective policing works. No reshuffling or political balancing will fix this problem without true federalism and state policing.”

Meanwhile, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) condemned the President’s decision, questioning the justification for extending Egbetokun’s tenure despite his retirement eligibility. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, said it was unclear why Tinubu retained the IGP after replacing other security chiefs.

“As a party, we are concerned about what informed the decision to extend Egbetokun’s tenure,” Johnson said. “We are watching closely, just like other Nigerians.”

In contrast, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Young Progressives Party (YPP) applauded the President, insisting that his decision was made in the nation’s best interest.

APGA’s National Publicity Secretary, Ejimofor Opara, stated that the President had access to sensitive intelligence unavailable to the public and acted based on informed judgment. “As Commander-in-Chief, the President must have made the decision in the best interest of national security,” Opara said.

YPP’s spokesperson, Wale Martins, supported the retention but argued that the recent security shake-up should have been more comprehensive, stressing the need for fresh energy and perspectives across all security agencies.

“Retaining someone due for retirement raises valid concerns about the need for renewed ideas,” Martins noted. “Those who have been part of the old system may not deliver the transformative change Nigerians are expecting.”

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