…National Assembly Transmits Constitutional Amendment Proposal to State Lawmakers
…24-State Approval Required as Nigeria Moves Closer To Decentralised Policing
Daud Olatunji
The National Assembly has transmitted the 2026 Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish State Police Services to the 36 State Houses of Assembly, setting the stage for a fresh round of legislative scrutiny that could determine the future of policing in Nigeria.
The transmission, made on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, followed a directive from the leadership of the federal legislature.
The state legislatures have been asked to consider the proposed constitutional amendment in accordance with their respective legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly within 30 days of receiving the bill.
However, Ogunlana clarified that the 30-day period is an administrative timeframe and not a constitutional deadline.
He explained that the 1999 Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which State Houses of Assembly must respond to constitutional alteration bills.
The development represents a major step in the prolonged effort to decentralise Nigeria’s policing architecture and introduce a system in which state and federal police services would operate within defined constitutional and legal boundaries.
The immediate constitutional hurdle is the requirement for approval by at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, not less than two-thirds of the state legislatures must approve a constitutional alteration before the amendment process can advance.
Consequently, at least 24 State Houses of Assembly must approve the proposal.
The requirement places the state legislatures at the centre of the latest phase of the State Police debate, with each Assembly expected to independently deliberate on the proposal before communicating its position to the National Assembly.
Ogunlana said the National Assembly recognised the constitutional responsibility and independence of the state legislatures.
He urged the lawmakers to consider the bill in line with their respective legislative procedures and forward their resolutions after concluding their deliberations.
According to him, the 30-day administrative timeframe was intended to facilitate an orderly, coordinated and timely conclusion of the constitutional alteration process.
He added that the National Assembly would take the necessary next steps after receiving the resolutions of the various State Houses of Assembly.
The proposed amendment seeks to establish a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
Under the proposed framework, individual states would be empowered to establish their own police services through laws passed by their respective Houses of Assembly.
State Police Services would have responsibility for enforcing state laws, maintaining public safety and order, preventing and detecting offences within their jurisdictions and protecting lives and property.
The Federal Police Service would, however, retain responsibility for federal policing functions.
It would also continue policing a state until the State Police Service established by that state becomes operational.
The proposed arrangement therefore seeks to create a framework in which state police authorities can respond to local security challenges while the Federal Police Service continues to handle matters within its constitutional jurisdiction.
The proposed State Police framework does not leave states without national regulatory standards.
It provides for national minimum standards covering critical aspects of policing, including recruitment, training, certification, appointment, promotion and discipline.
Other areas include the use of force, firearms, custody, complaints, criminal information, intergovernmental cooperation, public reporting and accountability.
The provisions are designed to establish common standards while permitting states to operate police services within their respective jurisdictions.
The proposal also contains safeguards governing cooperation and interaction between federal and state police authorities.
The latest legislative development follows months of discussions and legislative activity over the restructuring of Nigeria’s policing architecture.
The Senate and House of Representatives had previously considered proposals seeking constitutional changes to permit State Police Services.
The Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre had noted that the two chambers initially considered different versions of the proposal, creating the need for legislative harmonisation before the measure could proceed.
The Presidency has also backed the State Police initiative as part of broader efforts to address Nigeria’s security challenges.
The administration has presented decentralised policing as a mechanism for bringing law enforcement closer to communities and enabling states to respond more directly to security situations within their territories.
Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, has also spoken in favour of a framework that would bring policing closer to the people while incorporating safeguards to protect citizens’ rights.
Despite the latest development, the transmission of the bill to the state legislatures does not mean that State Police Services have been established.
The constitutional amendment process remains subject to the prescribed approval of the State Houses of Assembly and subsequent constitutional procedures.
The 24-state threshold is therefore the immediate legislative test facing the proposal.
If the required number of state legislatures approves the amendment, the process will move to the subsequent constitutional stages.
As the bill reaches the 36 state legislatures, several questions are expected to dominate the debate, including funding, recruitment, command structures, political interference, use of firearms, discipline, operational independence and public accountability.
One of the central issues is how states would finance and sustain their police services, particularly given the varying financial capacities of the states.
Another major concern is how the proposed police services would maintain professional independence while operating under state authorities.
The national minimum standards contained in the proposal are expected to provide part of the regulatory framework for addressing these concerns.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the state-by-state consideration of the bill could generate intense legislative and public discussions over the practical implications of establishing state-controlled police services.
The debates are also expected to focus on how the Federal Police Service and State Police Services would share responsibilities, exchange information and cooperate during security operations.
For the National Assembly, the next major step is to receive the resolutions of the 36 State Houses of Assembly and proceed in accordance with the constitutional requirements.
For the state lawmakers, the task is to independently scrutinise the proposed constitutional alteration and determine their respective positions.
The State Police proposal has thus entered a critical phase, with 24 of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly required to approve the amendment before the process can proceed further.
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