morganable politics/Governance
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeks to amend Section 214 of the Constitution by replacing the existing single Nigeria Police Force with a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
KaNo—
Five additional State Houses of Assembly have approved the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police in Nigeria, bringing the number of states that have endorsed the bill to 10.
The latest approvals came from Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara and Adamawa states, joining Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara, which had earlier supported the constitutional amendments required to introduce state policing.
The development came as the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill announced on Tuesday that it had submitted the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, alongside 29 consequential amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.
The proposed legislation forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to restructure Nigeria’s policing system and strengthen responses to the security challenges confronting different parts of the country.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeks to amend Section 214 of the Constitution by replacing the existing single Nigeria Police Force with a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
The proposed amendment was transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, for consideration and approval.
Under the constitutional amendment process, at least 24 state assemblies must endorse the proposal before it can proceed towards presidential assent.
With 10 assemblies having approved the bill, the proposal still requires the endorsement of at least 14 additional states to meet the constitutional threshold.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed that the committee had completed the drafting stage of its assignment.
Gbajabiamila explained that the draft legislation was formally submitted to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on Monday, October 19, in accordance with the working group’s implementation timetable.
According to him, the Ministry of Justice will examine the proposed legislation to ensure compliance with established legislative drafting standards and conventions.
The review will also determine whether provisions contained in the proposed bills conflict with existing laws or require further adjustments before submission to President Bola Tinubu.
The statement read, “The submission was made on October 19, 2026, to the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, in line with the Working Group’s work plan.”
It added that the ministry was expected to return the validated bills to the committee on or before October 30, after which the working group would conduct its final consideration before presenting the documents to the President.
Gbajabiamila explained that the proposed National Policing Bill was designed to provide the constitutional and legislative framework necessary for the establishment and operation of a dual policing structure in Nigeria.
He maintained that the working group remained committed to a rigorous and transparent process capable of producing comprehensive legislation for presidential consideration and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives also noted that the committee’s assignment was progressing alongside the ongoing consideration of the Sixth Alteration Bill by state legislatures.
The development followed an earlier assurance by Gbajabiamila on October 15 that the National Policing Bill was about 90 per cent ready and would be transmitted to the National Assembly on October 29.
However, the latest timetable indicates that the Ministry of Justice is expected to complete its validation process by October 30, before the working group concludes its assignment.
President Tinubu inaugurated the seven-member Presidential Working Group on July 7, while its steering committee commenced work on August 3.
The President tasked the committee with preparing a technically sound and implementation-ready legislative framework for the proposed policing reforms.
The constitutional amendment had earlier passed the Senate on June 24 and was subsequently approved by the House of Representatives before being forwarded to state assemblies for consideration.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Justice has declined to confirm whether the review of the draft legislation would be completed within the period proposed by the presidential working group.
The Special Assistant on Media to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Kamarudeen Ogundele, said the review would follow established procedures, stressing that the ministry could not be compelled to work within a timeline not prescribed by law.
Ogundele questioned suggestions that the review must be concluded within a specific number of days or weeks, explaining that due process remained essential to the exercise.
He said, “I am not in the position to confirm that now. This thing has a procedure; it has a process, and due process must be followed.”
He added that imposing an arbitrary deadline where no legal requirement existed was unnecessary.
Similarly, the Senate declined to comment on the executive’s proposed timetable for transmitting the legislation, insisting that lawmakers would await formal correspondence before taking a position.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said the upper legislative chamber could not respond to an executive proposal it had yet to receive.
“We cannot pass comment on what the Executive said until we receive correspondence from them,” Adaramodu stated.
He nevertheless described the establishment of state police as an issue of significant public interest, assuring Nigerians that the National Assembly remained committed to concluding the legislative process expeditiously.
The Senate spokesman also dismissed concerns over the pace of approvals by state assemblies following the expiration of the 30-day deadline earlier given for submission of their positions.
According to him, the deadline was intended to encourage state legislatures to communicate their decisions rather than impose a restriction on the National Assembly’s consideration of the proposed amendment.
Adaramodu explained that the Senate would examine the submissions received from the states alongside the executive’s legislative proposals.
He said the National Assembly would also convene a conference to address outstanding issues arising from the amendment process.
The lawmaker expressed confidence that more state assemblies would communicate their decisions before the executive formally transmitted the proposed legislation.
He maintained that the ongoing constitutional process would not derail the Senate’s determination to conclude work on the state policing legislation before the end of 2026.
The proposed reform represents a significant potential shift in Nigeria’s security architecture, although its implementation remains dependent on the completion of the required constitutional and legislative processes.
