State Assemblies Get State Police Bill as Constitutional Amendment Enters Critical Stage
Reported By Facthabournews
The National Assembly has transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the Houses of Assembly of the 36 states for consideration and approval, bringing the proposed establishment of state police to the next stage of the constitutional amendment process.
The transmission was announced on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, who said the state legislatures were expected to consider the bill in accordance with their respective legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly.
The proposed state police system is the only constitutional alteration proposal from the current review exercise that has so far been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.
The Senate passed the State Police Establishment Bill on June 24, 2026, following its consideration of an executive bill submitted by President Bola Tinubu. The House of Representatives subsequently passed the proposal on July 23, paving the way for its transmission to the state Houses of Assembly.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional amendment requires approval from not less than two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly. This means that at least 24 of the 36 state legislatures must approve the proposal before the constitutional amendment can proceed to the next stage.
The National Assembly has asked the state assemblies to communicate their decisions within 30 days of receiving the bill. However, the Clerk clarified that the 30-day period is an administrative timeframe and does not constitute a constitutional deadline, as the Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which state legislatures must communicate their resolutions.
The National Assembly also emphasised that the state Houses of Assembly remain constitutionally independent in considering the proposed amendment and that the transmission of the bill is intended to facilitate their constitutional responsibility rather than determine the outcome of their deliberations.
If approved by the required number of state legislatures, the proposed amendment would establish a constitutional framework for a decentralised policing structure involving state police alongside the existing federal police system.
The proposal is part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture by bringing policing closer to communities and enabling states to play a greater role in addressing security challenges within their jurisdictions.
The proposed framework has generated significant public and political discussion, particularly around issues such as funding, recruitment, training, operational independence, oversight and safeguards against possible abuse.
During earlier discussions on the proposal, National Assembly leaders said constitutional and legal safeguards would be required to ensure that state police forces operate within the law. The proposed framework has also included provisions concerning federal intervention in circumstances where a state police authority violates applicable laws.
The state police proposal is, however, only one part of the wider constitutional alteration exercise. Other areas under consideration include local government autonomy, electoral reforms, judicial reforms, devolution of powers, fiscal reforms, inclusive governance, citizenship and institutional reforms.
The transmission of the bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly therefore marks a critical stage in the process. The National Assembly must now await the resolutions of the state legislatures before taking the next constitutional steps.
The Clerk said the National Assembly remains committed to conducting the amendment process in accordance with the Constitution, due process and the respective legislative responsibilities of the federal and state institutions.
For the proposed state police system to advance beyond the state-level consideration, it must secure support from at least 24 of the 36 Houses of Assembly.
The development places the state legislatures at the centre of the next phase of one of Nigeria’s most significant proposed changes to its policing structure since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
As the 36 Houses of Assembly begin consideration of the bill, their individual resolutions will determine whether the proposed constitutional framework for state police clears the required state-level threshold and proceeds to the subsequent stage of the amendment process.
