By Mercy Aikoye
The proposed establishment of state police has moved closer to becoming law, following approval of the constitutional amendment bill by 28 State Houses of Assembly, exceeding the constitutionally required threshold.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, confirming that his office had received and verified the approvals.
The 28 approvals exceed the two-thirds requirement of 24 states stipulated under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution for the passage of a constitutional alteration bill.
The bill, titled Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, seeks to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and introduce other related constitutional provisions.
According to Ogunlana, the bill was transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval, with a request that their decisions be communicated to the National Assembly within 30 days.
Although the deadline expired on October 15, he said his office would continue to receive reports from state legislatures until the bill is transmitted for presidential assent.
He explained that the National Assembly had completed the administrative verification of the reports and accompanying Votes and Proceedings to authenticate the decisions of the respective state assemblies.
Ogunlana also 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 legislation.
Although the Clerk’s statement did not provide an official breakdown of the 28 approvals, reported to have approved the bill include Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, Lagos, Sokoto and Jigawa.
With the required number of state approvals secured, the necessary administrative processes are now underway to transmit the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent in accordance with the Acts Authentication Act.
The National Assembly described the development as a significant milestone in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and deepen its federal system, while commending the state assemblies for their cooperation in the constitutional amendment process.
