National Assembly clarifies only State Police Bill has reached 36 State Assemblies
ABUJA — The proposed establishment of State Police in Nigeria has entered a critical stage, with the National Assembly confirming that the constitutional amendment will require the concurrence of at least 24 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before it can proceed to the final legislative stage and eventual presidential assent.
The clarification was made by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, following reports and public interpretations suggesting that the entire package of proposed constitutional amendments had already been transmitted to the state legislatures.
Ogunlana, in a statement issued on Tuesday, clarified that only the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, dealing specifically with the establishment of State Police Services and related matters, has so far been forwarded to the 36 State Houses of Assembly.
According to him, it is therefore inaccurate to suggest that all the constitutional alteration bills currently before the National Assembly have been transmitted to the states.
The State Police Bill was transmitted to the state legislatures on September 16, 2026, after it had been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly. The transmission marks the next stage of the constitutional amendment process.
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WHY STATE POLICE BILL WAS PRIORITISED
The National Assembly said the decision to give priority to the State Police proposal followed widespread public demands and concerns over Nigeria’s security and policing challenges.
The proposed amendment seeks to create a constitutional framework that would allow states to establish and operate their own police services, alongside the existing federal policing structure.
The move comes amid longstanding calls for the decentralisation of policing, with proponents arguing that policing closer to local communities could improve responses to security threats and community-specific challenges.
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However, the proposal has also generated broader public debate over issues including funding, command structures, accountability, human rights protections and safeguards against possible political interference.
24 STATES HOLD THE KEY
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional alteration requires the approval of at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly after satisfying the required legislative threshold at the National Assembly.
With 36 states in Nigeria, two-thirds translates to 24 State Houses of Assembly.
This means that at least 24 states must concur with the State Police constitutional amendment before the process can move to its final stage.
The National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly therefore have a central role to play before the proposal can ultimately reach the President for assent.
30-DAY WINDOW NOT A CONSTITUTIONAL DEADLINE
The National Assembly had earlier asked the State Houses of Assembly to communicate their resolutions within 30 days of receiving the bill.
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However, the Clerk clarified that the 30-day period is an administrative timeframe and not a constitutional deadline.
The state legislatures retain their constitutional responsibility to consider the bill according to their respective legislative procedures.
The National Assembly said it would take the necessary next steps after receiving the resolutions of the State Houses of Assembly.
OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS STILL PENDING
The National Assembly has also clarified that other proposed constitutional amendments have not yet reached the state legislatures.
According to Ogunlana, the remaining Constitution Alteration Bills will only be transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly after they have been passed in identical form by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, in accordance with the constitutional amendment process.
Among the broader constitutional reform proposals under consideration are issues relating to local government autonomy, electoral reforms, devolution of powers and other institutional reforms.
CURRENT POLICE STRUCTURE
Nigeria currently operates a centralised policing system under the 1999 Constitution.
Section 214 establishes the Nigeria Police Force and provides that no other police force shall be established for the federation or any part of it.
Consequently, creating State Police requires a constitutional amendment rather than simply passing an ordinary law.
The proposed Sixth Alteration Bill is designed to provide that constitutional foundation.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The immediate focus is now on the 36 State Houses of Assembly.
The assemblies will consider the State Police Bill and communicate their individual resolutions to the National Assembly.
If the constitutionally required threshold of 24 state approvals is achieved, the amendment process can advance to the subsequent legislative steps before the proposal is presented for presidential assent.
The National Assembly says it remains committed to conducting the constitutional alteration process transparently and in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
For now, the fate of State Police rests significantly with Nigeria’s state legislatures.
The question before the states is no longer whether the bill has reached them—it has. The next question is how many of the 36 State Houses of Assembly will concur with the proposed constitutional change.
