State Police: 25 Assemblies Approve Amendment, Bill Crosses Constitutional Hurdle

• Lagos, Ondo, Ebonyi, Kogi, Niger, Borno, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto yet to approve

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police in Nigeria has crossed a major legislative hurdle, with 25 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly approving the 2026 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, surpassing the two-thirds threshold required for the amendment to proceed to the next stage.

However, 11 States —Lagos, Ondo, Ebonyi, Kogi, Niger, Borno, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto — have yet to approve the amendment.

With the required constitutional threshold secured, the amendment can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed the development in a statement, commending the State Houses of Assembly for their decisive action on the reform.

He also expressed appreciation to the National Assembly for passing the amendment in both chambers.

The development came as the National Policing Bill and 29 consequential amendment bills were undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Gbajabiamila explained that the approval by 25 state assemblies had provided the constitutional backing required for the proposed dual policing framework.

He stated: “The approval gives constitutional backing to the policing framework that the Working Group’s draft National Policing Bill, 2026 is designed to implement.

“The Working Group’s efforts remain on track. The draft Bills are currently undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice and are expected to be returned on or before Friday, 30th October 2026. Thereafter, the Group will give them final consideration before presenting them to Mr President.

“The Working Group urges all stakeholders to support a smooth transition to a dual policing system that makes Nigerians safer.”

The Presidency had on Tuesday disclosed that the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, was ready.

Gbajabiamila explained that the Working Group had completed the drafting stage of its assignment and formally submitted the proposed National Policing Bill, together with 29 consequential amendment bills, to the Federal Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.

According to him, the submission was made to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on Monday, October 19, 2026, in accordance with the Working Group’s work plan.

He said the ministry’s review would ensure that the proposed legislation conformed to established legislative drafting standards and conventions and did not conflict with existing laws.

The Ministry of Justice, he added, was expected to return the validated draft bills to the Working Group on or before October 30, 2026.

Thereafter, the Working Group would give the bills final consideration before presenting them to the President, thereby concluding its mandate.

Gbajabiamila stated: “The proposed National Policing Bill seeks to establish the constitutional and legislative framework for a dual policing structure, comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.

“The Working Group remains committed to a rigorous and transparent process that will deliver a comprehensive legislative proposal for consideration by the President and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.

“The work on preparing the National Policing Bill is proceeding alongside the ongoing consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 by the States Houses of Assembly, which must be completed before the Bill is transmitted to the National Assembly.”

The Presidency had last Thursday indicated that the National Policing Bill would be transmitted to the National Assembly within two weeks.

Speaking with journalists after a steering committee meeting at the State House, Abuja, Gbajabiamila said the proposed legislation was nearing completion.

“The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly. We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90 percent ready.

“The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so,” he said.

Gbajabiamila described the proposed legislation as “the most consequential Bill of the administration so far,” explaining that it had undergone extensive deliberations since the Working Group’s steering committee commenced its meetings on August 3, 2026.

Responding to concerns that some states might delay approval of the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill on state police, particularly when only about six states had reportedly approved the amendment, Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that the required support would be secured.

He maintained that there was a “national consensus” among Nigerians on the need for the constitutional amendment.

“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he said.

Those present at Thursday’s steering committee meeting, held at the conference hall of the Chief of Staff’s Office at the State House, Abuja, included the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu; and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, represented by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba.

Others included the Chairman of the Policy Advisory Committee, Justice Abdullahi Liman (retd.); Head of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Professor Olu Ogunsakin; Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Dr Lanre Smart; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research and Secretary of the Committee, Nnadubem Moghalu.

Also in attendance were a representative of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association and AIG Abraham Nabhon Thomas, who represented the National Security Adviser, among others.

President Tinubu had, on July 7, 2026, inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to prepare the legal framework for the implementation of state police across the country.

The inauguration followed the National Assembly’s passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which provides for a dual policing structure comprising a Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.

Tinubu had explained that although the constitutional amendment would establish the framework for state police, the National Policing Bill would provide the legal structure necessary for its implementation.

“The Constitution Amendment Bill establishes the framework for dual policing, but it does not operationalise it. That work is left to the National Policing Bill,” the President stated.