By Salihu Tsibiri
The National Assembly is to transmit the harmonised State Police Bill, 2026, to President Bola Tinubu for presidential assent following its endorsement by the required number of State Houses of Assembly.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendment, Mr Benjamin Kalu, disclosed this during plenary.
Mr Kalu expressed satisfaction with the endorsement of the landmark constitutional amendment, describing it as a historic step towards establishing state police across the country.
He said the leadership of both chambers had directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to transmit the Bill to President Tinubu for assent following the receipt of reports from 29 State Houses of Assembly on the proposed amendment.
The Deputy Speaker explained that the process complied with Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires constitutional alterations to secure the approval of not less than two-thirds of members of each chamber of the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly before being presented for presidential assent.
The Bill, which originated as an executive proposal, seeks to decentralise the country’s policing structure by granting state governments constitutional powers to establish and manage their own police services alongside the Federal Police.
Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
