The National Assembly has clarified that the proposed establishment of state police is awaiting the concurrence of at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly before the constitutional amendment can proceed to final legislative action and presidential assent.
It also dismissed reports that the entire package of proposed alterations to the 1999 Constitution had been transmitted to the states, saying only the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, dealing with the establishment of State Police Services and related matters, had been forwarded.
Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, who made the clarification in a statement on Tuesday, said the state police proposal was the only Constitution Alteration Bill so far transmitted to the state legislatures. “For the avoidance of doubt, it is only this particular Constitution Alteration Bill that has so far been transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly,” Ogunlana said.
He explained that the state police proposal was accorded priority in response to widespread public demands and concerns over security and policing, with the National Assembly seeking to address the issue through an appropriate constitutional and legal framework. The clarification followed the National Assembly’s September 16 announcement that it had transmitted the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval.
The announcement had generated varying interpretations over whether the transmission covered other proposals being considered under the ongoing constitution review exercise.
Ogunlana said the other Constitution Alteration Bills would be transmitted to the states only after they had been passed in identical form by the Senate and House of Representatives, as required under the constitutional amendment process.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional alteration must secure the approval of at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly — 24 states — after meeting the prescribed threshold in both chambers of the National Assembly.
The state police proposal has already been passed by both chambers, clearing the way for consideration by the state legislatures.
Once the resolutions of the state Houses of Assembly are received, the National Assembly is expected to take the necessary final legislative steps before the amendment is presented for presidential assent.
The National Assembly had earlier asked the state Houses of Assembly to communicate their resolutions within 30 days of receiving the bill, but clarified that the period was an administrative timeframe rather than a constitutional deadline.
“The National Assembly remains committed to ensuring that the ongoing Constitution Alteration process is conducted transparently, responsibly and in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Ogunlana said.
The state police amendment is part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution against the backdrop of persistent security challenges and longstanding demands for the decentralisation of policing in the country.
Nigeria currently operates a centralised police structure under Section 214 of the Constitution, which establishes the Nigeria Police Force and provides that no other police force shall be established for the federation or any part of it.
Consequently, the creation of state police requires an alteration of the Constitution rather than ordinary legislation.
The renewed push for state police has featured prominently in the current constitution review, with proponents arguing that decentralised policing would bring security personnel closer to communities and improve responses to local security challenges.
Concerns have, however, also been raised in the broader public debate about safeguards against possible abuse by state authorities, funding, command structures and the relationship between federal and state police services.
The Sixth Alteration Bill seeks to provide the constitutional framework for State Police Services and related matters, with the fate of the proposal now resting immediately with the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
Credit: The Sun