State Police Bill: National Assembly Moves to Send Amendment to Tinubu as 28 States Approve
By CentralNewsNG News Desk | November 4, 2026
The National Assembly has commenced administrative arrangements to transmit the proposed constitutional amendment establishing state police in Nigeria to President Bola Tinubu for assent after 28 State Houses of Assembly endorsed the legislation.
The development represents a major step in the country’s long-running debate over decentralizing policing and giving state governments greater responsibility for addressing security challenges within their territories.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
According to Ogunlana, the National Assembly received and verified approval documents from 28 state legislatures, exceeding the minimum requirement of 24 states under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.
The proposed amendment, formally titled the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeks to establish State Police Services and provide a constitutional foundation for their operations.
However, the bill has not yet received presidential assent, and state police services have not been established under the proposed constitutional framework.
National Assembly Confirms Approval by 28 States
Ogunlana explained that the Office of the Clerk had completed the verification of reports and accompanying legislative records submitted by the approving states.
The verification process was intended to confirm that the documents reflected decisions formally taken by the respective State Houses of Assembly.
Under Section 9 of the Constitution, a constitutional amendment of this nature requires approval by at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 state legislatures.
That threshold is equivalent to 24 states.
With 28 assemblies approving the bill, the number of verified endorsements exceeds the required minimum by four states.
The Clerk said the development had cleared the way for the National Assembly to begin arrangements for transmitting the amendment to the President.
The approval of the states does not, by itself, mean the proposed state police system has taken effect.
How the State Police Bill Reached This Stage
The proposed amendment passed the Senate on June 24, 2026, and the House of Representatives on July 23, 2026.
Following its passage by both chambers, the bill was transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16 for their consideration.
The state legislatures were initially requested to communicate their decisions to the National Assembly within 30 days.
That period expired on October 15.
Ogunlana explained that his office would continue accepting reports from state assemblies until the bill was transmitted for presidential assent.
He also clarified that Section 9 of the Constitution does not expressly require a third reading for constitutional alteration bills in the same manner as ordinary legislation.
The Clerk said the necessary administrative arrangements were being carried out in accordance with the Acts Authentication Act.
These arrangements are intended to ensure that the amendment documents are properly authenticated before being forwarded for presidential consideration.
Why Earlier Reports Mentioned 30 States
Before the Clerk’s formal confirmation, senior political figures had publicly suggested that approximately 30 state legislatures had approved the amendment.
President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, had earlier announced that 24 states supported the proposal.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio subsequently indicated that about 30 states had endorsed it.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele also referred to no fewer than 30 approvals while discussing the progress of constitutional reforms.
However, Ogunlana’s November 3 statement placed the officially received and verified approvals at 28.
The distinction matters because the constitutional process depends on formally documented decisions of state legislatures rather than preliminary political announcements.
The National Assembly has said it will continue receiving additional state reports until the amendment is transmitted.
What State Police Would Mean for Nigeria
Nigeria currently operates a centrally controlled policing structure under the Nigeria Police Force.
Although state governors have significant responsibilities for security within their territories, they do not control independent state police services under the existing constitutional arrangement.
The proposed amendment would create a legal foundation for states to establish their own police organizations alongside the federal police structure.
Supporters of the reform argue that state-controlled policing could improve responses to local security threats.
They believe officers recruited and deployed within individual states may possess stronger knowledge of local communities, languages, geography and security conditions.
Such knowledge could potentially support investigations, intelligence gathering and responses to kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry and communal violence.
However, the establishment of state police would not automatically resolve Nigeria’s security challenges.
Its effectiveness would depend on the quality of recruitment, training, funding, leadership and oversight.
Which States Have Approved the Bill?
A November 2026 report by Vanguard identified the following 28 states as having approved the proposed constitutional amendment:
- Abia
- Adamawa
- Akwa Ibom
- Anambra
- Bayelsa
- Benue
- Cross River
- Delta
- Ebonyi
- Edo
- Ekiti
- Enugu
- Imo
- Kaduna
- Kano
- Kebbi
- Kwara
- Lagos
- Ogun
- Osun
- Oyo
- Plateau
- Rivers
- Sokoto
- Taraba
- Yobe
- Zamfara
- Borno
Editor’s verification note: The published list reproduced in the Vanguard report contains only 27 named states and does not include Borno. Consequently, the complete identity of all 28 approving states should be independently confirmed against the National Assembly’s authenticated records before publication. The official statement confirms the total of 28 but does not itself provide a full state-by-state list.
Concerns Over Political Interference and Abuse
Despite support for decentralized policing, the proposal has generated concerns about the potential misuse of state-controlled security agencies.
Critics fear that governors could attempt to influence police operations against political opponents, journalists, activists or other perceived critics.
There are also questions about whether financially weaker states would be able to recruit, equip and sustain professional police services.
Former Inspector-General of Police Mike Okiro has argued that the proposed constitutional framework must contain safeguards against political interference.
He has highlighted provisions intended to restrict the use of state police for partisan, ethnic, religious or personal purposes.
Other suggested safeguards include clear recruitment standards, independent complaints procedures, human rights protections and restrictions on unlawful directives.
Supporters of the reform maintain that effective oversight could help address these concerns while allowing states to respond more directly to local security threats.
The practical strength of such safeguards would depend on how the final legal framework is implemented and enforced.
Funding and Recruitment Remain Major Questions
One of the most important issues surrounding state police is how individual states would finance their services.
Establishing a police organization requires substantial investment in personnel, training institutions, operational vehicles, communications equipment, accommodation and investigative technology.
States would also need reliable systems for paying salaries and pensions and maintaining equipment.
Beyond funding, the relationship between federal and state police authorities would need to be clearly defined.
This includes questions about which agency would investigate particular offences, how officers would operate across state boundaries and how intelligence would be shared.
Without clear arrangements, overlapping responsibilities could create operational confusion.
The proposed reform would therefore require more than constitutional approval.
Detailed legislation, regulations and institutional arrangements would be needed before new state police services could begin operating effectively.
What Happens Next After the 28 States’ Approval?
The next announced step is the completion of the National Assembly’s administrative authentication and transmission process.
The amendment is expected to be forwarded to President Tinubu for consideration.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele had earlier indicated that the National Assembly intended to complete the remaining legislative processes by December 2026.
However, the Clerk’s latest statement did not announce a specific transmission date.
Until the necessary legal steps are completed, Nigeria’s existing federal policing structure remains in place.
Even if the amendment receives presidential assent, states would still need to establish the institutions and operational arrangements required under the new framework.
A Major Step in Nigeria’s Security Reform Debate
The approval of the State Police Bill by 28 state legislatures marks an important development in Nigeria’s constitutional reform process.
For years, discussions about state police have focused on whether a decentralized system could improve public safety while protecting citizens against political abuse.
The latest development indicates that the proposal has secured the level of state legislative support required to advance.
Nevertheless, the outcome will depend on the remaining constitutional procedures and the eventual arrangements for implementing the reform.
For now, the National Assembly has confirmed that the amendment has passed the state approval threshold and that preparations for its transmission to President Tinubu are underway.
Sources: ARISE News, November 4, 2026; National Assembly statement reported by Channels Television, November 3, 2026; Punch, Business Day, Reuters and Vanguard.
