The proposed constitutional amendment to introduce state police in Nigeria has received the approval of 24 state Houses of Assembly, meeting the required two-thirds threshold for constitutional alteration.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, announced the development on Friday in his capacity as chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill.
In a statement dated October 23, 2026, the working group said the approval of 24 out of the 36 state legislatures satisfied the constitutional requirement for the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026.
The group praised the state assemblies for their support and commended the National Assembly for passing the proposed amendment through both chambers.
It said the amendment could now be returned to the National Assembly for onward transmission to the president for assent.
“In line with Section 9 of the Constitution, the amendment can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to Mr President for assent,” the statement said.
The constitutional amendment is designed to provide the legal basis for the proposed dual policing arrangement, which would comprise the Federal Police Service and state police services.
Justice ministry reviewing draft bills
The presidential working group further disclosed that the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, and related legislative documents were undergoing drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
According to the statement, the documents are expected to be returned to the group on or before October 30 for final consideration ahead of their presentation to President Tinubu.
The group urged stakeholders to support the proposed policing reforms, describing the transition to a dual policing system as an important step towards improving security and protecting Nigerians.
The National Assembly had transmitted the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill to the 36 state assemblies on September 16, requesting their consideration and approval within an expected administrative timeframe of 30 days.
The amendment forms part of efforts to restructure Nigeria’s policing system by allowing federal and state police services to operate under the proposed framework.
On October 9, Yemi Adaramodu, chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, expressed optimism that the bill would secure the required backing from the state legislatures.
Adaramodu had disclosed that Edo, Oyo, Osun and Rivers were the four states that had approved the proposal at the time.
The latest announcement brings the number of approving state assemblies to 24, meeting the threshold needed for the constitutional amendment to proceed to the next stage.
Leave a Reply