BY CHIJIOKE CHARLES
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, Esq., has confirmed that 28 out of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly have approved the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police Services.
The development has cleared the constitutionally required threshold for the passage of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, paving the way for its transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Clerk to the National Assembly disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, explaining that the 28 approvals exceeded the two-thirds requirement stipulated under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.
According to Ogunlana, the Bill was transmitted to all 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval, with a request that their decisions be communicated to the National Assembly within 30 days.
Although the stipulated period elapsed on October 15, the Clerk said his office would continue to receive reports from state legislatures until the Bill is transmitted for presidential assent.
He explained 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 further 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 legislation.
He said that, having secured the required number of state approvals, the National Assembly was undertaking the necessary administrative processes to facilitate the transmission of the Bill to President Tinubu for assent in accordance with the Acts Authentication Act, CAP A2 (LFN) 2004.
The Clerk commended the State Houses of Assembly for their cooperation and timely response, describing the proposed amendment as a significant step towards strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and deepening its federal system.
He assured Nigerians that his office would continue to provide accurate and timely information on developments surrounding the constitutional amendment process.
The establishment of State Police has remained a major issue in Nigeria’s security and governance debate, particularly amid persistent concerns over insecurity and calls for a decentralised policing structure.
