The National Assembly is prepared to transmit the Constitution Alteration Bill, which seeks the establishment of state police, to the 36 state Houses of Assembly this week, marking the next critical phase of one of Nigeria’s most significant security reforms. The development comes days after the Senate passed the landmark constitutional amendment, with federal lawmakers now racing to secure the necessary endorsement from at least 24 state legislatures before the bill can be forwarded to President Bola Tinubu for his assent.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, noting that all necessary logistics had been completed for the transmission. He stated that the state legislatures and governors were already anticipating the arrival of the legislation following deep consultations held prior to its passage by the federal parliament.
Adaramodu said, "The bill for the creation of state police will get to the states this week. The states’ speakers have met and are awaiting the bill from the National Assembly." He added, "The state governors are expecting it too, even with their presence in the Senate chamber when the bill was being considered and passed,"
The upcoming transmission represents the start of the final legal hurdle for the proposed decentralization, which requires the approval of not less than two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution before it can become law. Support has continued to build for the proposal since the Senate gave its approval after a clause-by-clause consideration of the report submitted by the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, led by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.
The bill introduces a dual policing framework that empowers state governments to set up and manage police services within their territories while protecting the constitutional powers of the Nigeria Police Force over national security matters like terrorism, border monitoring, cybercrime, arms trafficking, and other federal offenses. To protect against potential abuse by state governors, lawmakers added several checks into the bill, including rules that stop state police forces from targeting individuals for criticizing the government. It also gives the Federal Government the power to step in during cases of national security threats, a breakdown of public order, or human rights violations.
The proposed decentralization has gained unprecedented support from state executives, speakers of state assemblies, and key political actors across the country. The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria previously endorsed the bill, with its Chairman and Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Emomotimi Guwor, assuring the public that all state houses would give the document a thorough review. Many governors have also embraced the amendment, viewing it as a timely response to the country's security issues.
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, described the passage of the bill by the Senate as a historic move toward reinforcing the security network of Nigeria, noting that state police would have a better grasp of local geography and community terrain, which would boost intelligence gathering and crime response. Similarly, the Forum of Progressive Speakers of State Legislatures under the All Progressives Congress promised to ensure quick ratification in APC-led states while guaranteeing strict oversight to maintain professionalism and protect human rights.
The Labour Party also backed the initiative, calling the Senate's decision a major milestone in the effort to boost internal security via community policing. While noting worries about potential political victimization by governors, the party expressed confidence in the constitutional safeguards built into the text. However, the Peoples Redemption Party opposed the timing of the project and called on Nigerians to reject it, claiming that the current government lacks the credibility required to manage such a major restructuring of the policing framework.
Despite these objections, the transmission of the bill this week will kick off debates across the 36 Houses of Assembly, where lawmakers are expected to hold public hearings, consult stakeholders, and review the text before voting. Endorsement by at least 24 state assemblies will pave the way for President Bola Tinubu’s assent, potentially ending decades of debate over police decentralization and bringing about a massive change in internal security since 1999.
Meanwhile, the Senate on Sunday strongly defended the passage of the bill, stating that the approval by 84 senators was a direct answer to the country's security difficulties. The upper chamber noted that the bill was the result of years of public engagements, consultations, and national consensus, adding that it would be improper to suspend the reform because of political interests ahead of the 2027 general election.
Defending the decision in an official statement from his media office on Sunday, the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, stated that the proposal was “purely a child of necessity and not of political expediency as well as a product of national consensus and not of cynicism.” He maintained that setting up state police has become a matter of urgent national focus that must not be delayed for political ambitions. He explained that the process was an evolution of deep constitutional review engagements with critical stakeholders.
Bamidele noted that despite some opposition, observations showed that the public largely welcomed the bill, believing it would improve sub-national security. Bamidele said, "The state police proposal was part of memoranda submitted to the Senate Ad hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. The memorandum had been subjected to a rigorous process and multi-tiered consultation across the federation due to its sensitive nature."
He further stated, "During this process, the National Assembly broadly consulted the executive, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Conference of Speakers of the State Legislatures of Nigeria and the leadership of the Nigeria Police, among others." He added, "In July 2025, the National Assembly conducted public hearings in all geopolitical zones, and the participants overwhelmingly approved it." He also noted, "At each level of our consultation, nearly all stakeholders embraced the State Police Bill in the light of stark realities we are facing today."
The Senate Leader added that the Nigeria Police Force actively took part in drafting the amendment, providing recommendations that helped create safeguards against political abuse. He said these ideas became part of the accountability structures in the law. He explained that the willingness of the police to back the bill highlights its value for local safety. He noted that support for the bill cut across party lines in both chambers.
Bamidele said, "Even though the APC is the majority, there are members of opposition parties - PDP, ADC, NDC and Labour Party - that exercised their discretion in favour of the Bill, mainly in the national interest and not on a parochial basis." He added, "In the Senate, for instance, 84 out of 109 members voted clause by clause in support of the Bill. This accounted for 77.06 per cent approval at the Senate alone."
He argued that security must rise above partisan interests, noting that nations dealing with security threats typically unite behind safety reforms. Globally, he stated that security "is a collective public good that benefits citizenry across ethnic, political and religious divides." He added, "Political actors elsewhere always throw off their togas of partisanship and parochialism to support initiatives that will boost and reinforce national security." He concluded by challenging opposition leaders to provide useful ideas to deepen national peace rather than opposing the bill purely for politics, stating, "Even when they disagree on some grounds, they are under obligations to provide credible and useful ideas that can make our nation better and greater. Unfortunately, they have not passed this critical test of opposition democracy,"
0 Comments