Twenty-eight State Houses of Assembly have approved the constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police in Nigeria, clearing the major hurdle for the reform.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement issued Tuesday.
He said the 28 approvals exceed the threshold required under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, which requires not less than two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly — at least 24 states — for a constitutional alteration to be valid.
He also said the National Assembly has received the approval reports from the 28 states.
According to Ogunlana, Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution requires approval by not less than two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, representing at least 24 states, for a constitutional alteration to become valid.
He explained that the bill, known as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, was transmitted to the 36 state legislatures on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval.
The state assemblies were initially given 30 days, with October 15, 2026, stipulated as the deadline for communicating their decisions to the National Assembly.
However, the Clerk said his office would continue to receive reports from state assemblies until the bill is transmitted for presidential assent.
He added that the Office of the Clerk had undertaken administrative verification of the reports and accompanying Votes and Proceedings to establish their authenticity and ensure that they accurately reflected the decisions of the respective state legislatures.
Ogunlana also clarified that Section 9 of the Constitution does not expressly prescribe a Third Reading for a Constitution Alteration Bill, unlike the procedure applicable to ordinary bills.
With the required number of state approvals secured, he said the necessary administrative processes were underway to facilitate the transmission of the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent in accordance with the Acts Authentication Act, CAP A2 (LFN) 2004.
The proposed establishment of State Police has remained a major issue in Nigeria’s security and constitutional reform debates, particularly against the backdrop of persistent insecurity, kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and other criminal activities across the country.
Proponents of state policing have argued that decentralising police operations would enable state governments to respond more effectively to security challenges peculiar to their respective jurisdictions.
However, concerns have also been raised over the possibility of political interference, abuse of police powers by state governors, inadequate funding and the protection of fundamental human rights under a decentralised policing structure.
The National Assembly said it appreciated the cooperation of the state legislatures in considering the proposed amendment, describing the development as a significant step towards strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and deepening its federal system.