24 state assemblies back state police amendment, presidency says
- Twenty-four state Houses of Assembly don approve di Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, and e don pass di two-thirds mark.
- Di presidency working group on policing talk say di amendment go back to National Assembly to send to President Tinubu.
- Draft National Policing Bill dey Federal Ministry of Justice and dem expect am back by 30 October.
At least 24 state Houses of Assembly don vote in favour of di Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, di presidency working group on policing announce on Friday. Dat one don clear di two-thirds mark of di 36 states wey dem need to change di constitution.
Di amendment go create legal room for policing to dey shared between di Federal Government and di states, one shift from di current arrangement wey Nigeria Police Force dey operate as one single national body.
Femi Gbajabiamila, di Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and chairman of di Presidential Working Group on di National Policing Bill, sign di statement. He thank di state lawmakers for acting on wetin di group call reform of national importance, and also acknowledge di National Assembly for passing di bill in both chambers.
For di ordinary Nigerian, di vote na one step, no be di finish line. Nothing don change for street yet: di police wey you call today remain di same until di President sign di amendment and di enabling law take effect.
Wetin go happen next
Under Section 9 of di 1999 Constitution, di approved amendment go back to di National Assembly, wey go send am to di President for assent.
Di working group talk say dem dey review and validate dia draft National Policing Bill, 2026, wey go set out how di dual system go actually work, at di Federal Ministry of Justice. Dem expect di drafts back on or before Friday, 30 October 2026, after which di group go take final look before presenting dem to President Tinubu.
Gbajabiamila talk say di group work "remains on track" and ask stakeholders to back "a smooth transition to a dual policing system that makes Nigerians safer."
Supporters of state police argue say governors and communities sabi dia own security problems pass, especially for areas wey kidnapping, banditry and communal clashes dey hit. Critics dey worry say governors fit use dia own police against opponents, and how dem go fund and supervise di new forces.
Di sources no talk which 24 states approve di bill, and dem no give date for di President assent.
