The ‘Ayes’ Have It!

…National Assembly Prepares State Police Bill for Tinubu’s Assent as 28 States Approve Amendment. Furthermore, kthdaily has been closely monitoring these proceedings for readers.

By Jeremy Fregene
Nigeria’s decades-long campaign for the establishment of state police has recorded a major legislative breakthrough, with the National Assembly confirming that 28 State Houses of Assembly have approved the constitutional amendment designed to introduce decentralised policing across the country, as reported by kthdaily.

The development means that the proposed amendment has comfortably surpassed the constitutional requirement of approval by at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states, clearing a major hurdle towards the establishment of state police as part of the country’s security architecture.

The Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr Kamoru Ogunlana, announced the development in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, confirming that the required two-thirds majority of State Houses of Assembly had been secured in accordance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

According to Ogunlana, the proposed constitutional alteration bill was transmitted to all 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval within a stipulated 30-day period, which expired on October 15.

He disclosed that 28 states had formally communicated their approval, exceeding the minimum constitutional threshold by four states and highlighting in the view of kthdaily the broad national support for the reform.

The Clerk explained that although the initial period for receiving responses had elapsed, his office would continue to accept additional reports from State Houses of Assembly until the amendment bill was formally transmitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent.

He said the National Assembly had undertaken a thorough administrative verification of the reports received from the states, including the accompanying legislative votes and proceedings, to authenticate the approvals and ensure that they accurately reflected the decisions of the respective legislatures.

“The office undertook administrative verification of reports and accompanying votes and proceedings to establish authenticity and ensure accurate reflection of legislative decisions taken by respective State Houses of Assembly nationwide,” Ogunlana stated.

The Clerk also clarified an important procedural issue surrounding constitutional amendments, explaining that Section 9 of the Constitution does not expressly require a third reading for a constitutional alteration bill in the same manner applicable to ordinary legislation before the National Assembly.

He said the clarification was necessary to distinguish the special constitutional amendment procedure from the legislative processes governing conventional bills.

Ogunlana further disclosed that the National Assembly had commenced the necessary administrative processes to facilitate the transmission of the approved amendment to President Tinubu for assent in accordance with the Authentication Act, CAP A2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The development represents a significant step towards implementing one of the major security reforms being pursued by the Tinubu administration.

The President has repeatedly expressed backing for the establishment of state police as part of efforts to strengthen internal security, improve the responsiveness of law enforcement agencies, and address the country’s longstanding security challenges.

Under the proposed decentralised policing arrangement, states would be constitutionally empowered to establish their own police services alongside the existing federal policing structure, subject to the provisions and safeguards contained in the relevant legislation.

The initiative is intended to bring policing closer to communities, strengthen local intelligence gathering, and enable more effective responses to security threats that vary across different parts of the federation.

Supporters of the reform have long argued that Nigeria’s highly centralised policing system is increasingly inadequate for a federation of 36 states with diverse populations, geographical conditions, and security challenges.

However, concerns have also been raised over the possibility of political interference, abuse of police powers by state authorities, and the financial capacity of individual states to maintain professional policing institutions.

These concerns have informed calls for robust constitutional and statutory safeguards, including independent oversight, clear jurisdictional boundaries, professional recruitment standards, and mechanisms to protect citizens against political intimidation and other abuses.

The constitutional amendment is expected to provide the legal foundation for the proposed dual policing system, while complementary legislation will establish the operational, administrative, and accountability frameworks for state police services, according to several analysts speaking to kthdaily.

The National Policing Bill, 2026, and several related legislative proposals have been undergoing review as part of preparations for the transition to a decentralised policing structure.

With 28 states now formally endorsing the amendment, the National Assembly has moved closer to completing the constitutional alteration process.

Ogunlana described the approvals as a significant development in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and deepen federalism.

“The National Assembly appreciates the cooperation and timely responses of the State Houses of Assembly,” he said.

He assured Nigerians that his office would continue to provide accurate and timely information on the remaining stages of the constitutional amendment process until presidential assent was secured and formally communicated.

KTH Daily reports that the latest development leaves the proposed reform awaiting completion of the remaining legislative and administrative formalities, to be followed by presidential consideration. Meanwhile, readers can stay informed about further updates by following kthdaily for reliable news.

If assented to, the amendment would mark a fundamental restructuring of Nigeria’s policing framework, creating the constitutional basis for state-level police institutions and potentially transforming the country’s approach to internal security.