​State Police Bill Passes Threshold as 28 Assemblies Endorse Constitutional Amendment

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The proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police in Nigeria has surpassed the mandatory constitutional threshold, with 28 State Houses of Assembly voting in favor of the reform.
​The milestone paves the way for the National Assembly to transmit the proposed law to President Bola Tinubu for presidential assent.
​Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), any constitutional alteration requires approval by at least two-thirds of the 36 states—equivalent to 24 State Houses of Assembly. The current total of 28 approvals comfortably exceeds this requirement.
​The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, confirmed the official status of the bill in a statement, noting that reports alongside official votes and proceedings from the approving state legislatures have undergone administrative verification.
​The proposed law, officially titled the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, was originally transmitted to all 36 State Assemblies on September 16, 2026.
​Original Timeline: State legislatures were initially requested to communicate their decisions within a 30-day window ending October 15.
The Clerk clarified that his office continues to receive incoming responses from remaining states until the final transmission bundle is compiled for presidential assent.
Ogunlana noted that Section 9 of the Constitution does not mandate a third reading for a Constitution Alteration Bill prior to transmission, unlike the procedure required for ordinary legislation.
​”Following the receipt and verification of the reports, the Office confirms that 28 State Houses of Assembly have approved the Bill,” Ogunlana stated. “This represents more than the constitutionally prescribed threshold of not less than two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly as required under Section 9 of the Constitution.”
​The approval marks one of the most significant structural security reforms since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
​If signed into law by President Tinubu, the bill will alter key constitutional provisions to allow state governments to legally establish, fund, and operate local police forces alongside the existing federal police structure.
​The National Assembly is currently completing administrative requirements under the Acts Authentication Act (Cap A2, LFN 2004) before formally presenting the bill to the President.