The House of Representatives has transmitted the proposed State Police Bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent after 29 State Houses of Assembly reportedly approved the constitutional amendment.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, announced the development during Wednesday’s plenary, describing it as an important step towards decentralising Nigeria’s policing system.

Kalu expressed satisfaction with the endorsement by more than two-thirds of the state legislatures, saying the approval had brought the proposed reform closer to implementation.

He confirmed that the Clerk to the National Assembly had forwarded the bill to the President for assent.

The proposed amendment seeks to change Nigeria’s Constitution to allow state governments to establish and operate their own police forces alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force.

State Police Bill Gets Support From State Assemblies

The proposed State Police Bill has advanced after receiving the constitutional backing required from at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele also disclosed that 30 state legislatures had approved the amendment, exceeding the minimum requirement of 24 states.

According to Bamidele, the National Assembly had completed its part of the constitutional alteration process and forwarded the proposal to all 36 state legislatures for consideration.

The Clerk to the National Assembly wrote to the state assemblies on October 15, giving them until November 15, 2026, to communicate their decisions.

Bamidele said lawmakers wanted every state legislature to formally record its position, whether in support of or against the proposed amendment.

This, he explained, would ensure that the final record reflected the positions of all 36 states rather than only those that had already approved the proposal.

State Police Bill: National Assembly Transmits Constitutional Amendment to Tinubu for Assent

The National Assembly has transmitted the proposed State Police constitutional amendment to President Bola Tinubu for assent after securing the required approval from more than two-thirds of Nigeria’s State Houses of Assembly.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, announced the development during Wednesday’s plenary, describing it as a major step towards decentralising policing in Nigeria.

The development followed approval of the proposal by at least 29 of the 36 state legislatures, according to the figures presented by the House leadership.

Kalu said the Clerk to the National Assembly had been directed to forward the bill to the President for assent.

The proposed amendment seeks to alter the 1999 Constitution to allow state governments to establish and manage their own police services alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force.

The move is expected to change Nigeria’s centralised policing structure by giving states greater responsibility for addressing security challenges within their territories.

State Police Bill Secures Required Approval From State Assemblies

The constitutional amendment crossed the required threshold after more than two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly endorsed the proposal.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele told lawmakers that 30 state legislatures had approved the amendment, exceeding the constitutional requirement of 24 states.

The 30 states include Lagos, Rivers, Ogun, Kano, Oyo, Abia, Benue, Cross River, Niger, Kaduna, Edo, Enugu, Ondo and Osun, among others.

According to Bamidele, the National Assembly had completed its part of the constitutional amendment process before forwarding the proposal to the state legislatures for consideration.

The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, had earlier confirmed receiving and verifying approvals from 28 state assemblies as of November 3.

Subsequently, the National Assembly announced that the bill would be transmitted to Tinubu following the additional approvals recorded.

The constitutional process requires support from at least two-thirds of the state legislatures before an amendment can proceed to presidential assent.

Six State Assemblies Yet to Communicate Their Positions

Despite securing the required number of approvals, six state legislatures had yet to formally communicate their decisions on the proposal.

The outstanding states are Kano, Oyo, Abia, Benue, Cross River and Niger, according to the Senate Leader’s account.

The Senate had extended the period for the remaining assemblies to communicate their positions until November 15, 2026.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio said any state assembly that failed to respond by the deadline would be regarded as having withheld its approval.

Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau also informed lawmakers that Kano State had dispatched its response, which was expected to reach the National Assembly.

The extension is intended to give all 36 state legislatures an opportunity to formally record their positions on the constitutional amendment.

What the Proposed State Police Reform Means

The proposed amendment would provide the constitutional framework for state governments to establish and operate their own police services.

Under the proposed arrangement, state police would operate alongside the existing federal police structure, with state governments taking greater responsibility for maintaining law and order within their jurisdictions.

Supporters of the reform argue that decentralising policing could improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community security and enable faster responses to local threats.

However, the proposal must still receive presidential assent before the constitutional amendment can take effect.

Tinubu’s decision on the transmitted bill will therefore determine the next major step towards establishing state police services in Nigeria.