State Police Bill: 28 Assemblies Approve Constitutional Amendment, NASS Pushes  for Tinubu’s Assent

By Haruna Salami

The National Assembly has received approval reports from 28 State Houses of Assembly for the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police Services in Nigeria, paving the way for the transmission of the Bill to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent.

The Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly disclosed this in a statement signed by the Clerk, Kamoru Ogunlana, Esq., on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, confirming that the number of approvals secured has exceeded the constitutionally required threshold.

According to the statement, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, which seeks to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and related matters, was transmitted to all 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval.

The state legislatures were requested to communicate their decisions to the National Assembly within 30 days, with the stipulated period expiring on October 15, 2026. However, the Office of the Clerk said it would continue to receive reports from the remaining State Houses of Assembly until the Bill is transmitted for presidential assent.

Following the receipt and verification of the reports, the National Assembly confirmed that 28 states had approved the Bill, exceeding the constitutional requirement of at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, representing 24 states, under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.

The Office also confirmed that it had carried out the necessary administrative verification of the reports and accompanying Votes and Proceedings to authenticate the documents and ensure that they accurately reflected the decisions of the respective state legislatures.

It further clarified that Section 9 of the Constitution does not expressly require a Third Reading for a Constitution Alteration Bill, unlike the procedure applicable to ordinary legislative Bills.

With the required number of state approvals secured, the National Assembly said it was undertaking the necessary administrative processes to transmit the Bill to President Tinubu for assent in accordance with the Acts Authentication Act, CAP A2 (LEN) 2004.

The National Assembly expressed appreciation to the State Houses of Assembly for their cooperation and timely responses, describing the constitutional amendment as a significant step in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and deepen the country’s federal system.

The Office of the Clerk also assured the public that it would continue to provide accurate and timely information on developments relating to the constitutional amendment process.