In a bold move aimed at safeguarding the rule of law and institutional integrity in Nigeria, Apostle (Dr) Bolaji O. Akinyemi has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, over what he describes as an “executive overreach” and a “dangerous erosion of constitutional order” concerning the enforcement of tinted glass regulations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The petition, submitted separately to the three key institutions between July 13 and 14, 2025, follows an incident involving the impoundment of vehicles in Abuja by a joint security task force. According to Akinyemi, the officers acted contrary to an existing public directive from the Nigeria Police extending the tinted glass permit compliance deadline to August 12, 2025. He claimed that officers on the ground attributed their actions to a directive from the Honourable Minister of the FCT, raising serious concerns about hierarchical order and the separation of powers in Nigeria’s security operations.
In his letter to the Inspector General of Police, Apostle Akinyemi described the enforcement action as a direct contradiction of the police force’s directive and warned that it “undermines your authority and poses a dangerous precedent for law enforcement operations in Nigeria.” He called on the IGP to immediately reassert his institutional leadership and issue clarifications to restore public trust.
Addressing the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Akinyemi stressed the need for legislative oversight on the issue. He urged the National Assembly to investigate what he called “troubling gaps in inter-governmental coordination,” warning that such breakdowns could foster arbitrary governance and erode public confidence in state institutions. “This action reveals troubling gaps… and threatens public confidence in state institutions,” he wrote.
In the petition to President Tinubu, Apostle Akinyemi framed the incident as one that jeopardizes constitutional order, civil liberties, and inter-agency coherence. He warned that the actions, attributed to the FCT Minister, raised “grave constitutional, operational, and democratic concerns about the separation of powers, coordination among security agencies, and the protection of civil rights.” He urged the President to intervene decisively to reinforce institutional accountability and respect for due process.
Each of the petitions, titled “Ministerial Overreach on Tinted Glass Enforcement — A Dangerous Erosion of Constitutional Order,” highlights the potential for executive interference to destabilize Nigeria’s fragile institutional balance, especially in the area of security enforcement.
The documents, stamped and acknowledged as received by the respective offices, have now sparked discussions in civil society and among legal experts regarding the autonomy of Nigeria’s policing structure and the dangers of conflicting directives from different arms of government.
This development comes at a time when the country is facing increased scrutiny over the role of law enforcement, civil rights, and democratic accountability. Observers are watching closely to see how the federal government will respond to the petition, which may become a litmus test for institutional discipline and adherence to the rule of law in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
