- insists idea not politically motivated
By Abbanobi-Eku Onyeka
The Senate on Sunday mounted a strong defence of the Constitution Alteration Bill for State Police, insisting the legislation is driven by security realities and not partisan calculation.
In a statement by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs to Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, the upper chamber said the bill is “purely a child of necessity and not of political expediency” and “a product of national consensus and not of cynicism.”
Bamidele argued that creating state police is a matter of “urgent public importance” that cannot be delayed for political aspirations, given the security challenges confronting the country at the subnational level.
The Senate Leader stressed that the idea did not emerge suddenly. He said the proposal formed part of memoranda submitted to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution and was subjected to a rigorous, multi-tiered consultation across the federation because of its sensitivity.
According to him, the National Assembly consulted widely with the Executive, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, and the leadership of the Nigeria Police during the process.
Bamidele noted that public hearings were held in all six geo-political zones in July 2025. He said participants “overwhelmingly approved” the bill, and that “nearly all stakeholders embraced the State Police Bill in the light of stark realities we are facing today.”
The Senate Leader also highlighted the role of the Nigeria Police. He said the Force made vital recommendations to help the National Assembly design accountability and oversight mechanisms to prevent political abuse of state police structures.
“The resolve of the Nigeria Police to support the Bill obviously highlights its strategic national significance to deal with insecurity at local and state levels,” Bamidele said.
On legislative backing, he disclosed that the bill survived intense debate in both chambers. Despite the APC holding the majority, he said members of the PDP, ADC, NDC, and Labour Party also voted for it “mainly in the national interest and not on parochial basis.”
“In the Senate, for instance, 84 out of 109 members voted clause by clause in support of the Bill. This accounted for 77.06% approval at the Senate alone,” Bamidele revealed.
The Senate Leader framed security as a non-partisan issue. He said, “Security is a collective public good that benefits citizenry across ethnic, political and religious divides,” and urged political actors to set aside partisanship to support measures that strengthen national safety.
Bamidele concluded that opposition parties have a duty to offer “credible and useful ideas” to deepen peace and stability. He said failing to do so “means they have not passed this critical test of opposition democracy,” as Nigeria seeks solutions to insecurity.
