By Samuel Olusegun Precious
The proposed constitutional amendment to create state police is facing setbacks at the state level as only four of the 36 State Houses of Assembly have approved the bill so far.
The states that have given concurrence are Edo, Osun, Oyo and Rivers. The National Assembly transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to all 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, with a 30-day administrative timeframe to communicate their resolutions.
Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, clarified that the 30-day window is an administrative expectation, not a constitutional deadline.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, at least 24 state houses of assembly must approve the alteration before it can proceed.That means the bill still requires 20 more states to meet the threshold.
Checks across the country show slow progress:In the South-West, Ondo says it has received and circulated the bill, while Ekiti and Ogun are yet to begin deliberations.In the North, Kano, Kwara, Kebbi, Taraba and Gombe claimed they were yet to receive the bill, while Yobe, Borno, Nasarawa, Zamfara and Sokoto have received it but are yet to vote.In the South-East, most assemblies are yet to act. Abia said it would consider it when it resumes on October 6.Speaker of Delta House and Chairman of Conference of Speakers, Hon. Dennis Guwor, said thorough consultation with stakeholders was needed.The bill seeks to allow states to establish their own police services while retaining the Nigeria Police Force as federal police, with national minimum standards to be prescribed by the National Assembly.The reform is being prioritized due to widespread insecurity, but the current pace has raised questions over whether it will secure the required approvals within the target period.
