The proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria has reached a critical stage, with 32 State Houses of Assembly said to have approved the constitutional amendment bill and four others expected to submit their reports by Tuesday, November 17.
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this on Sunday, saying the National Assembly would proceed with the next stage of the constitutional amendment process when it reconvenes.
Bamidele made the disclosure in a statement issued in Abuja after receiving the Sun Senator of the Year Award for his contributions to parliamentary leadership and lawmaking.
According to him, the 32 approvals have taken the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, 2026, beyond the constitutional threshold required under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
“As shown in the records of the National Assembly, no fewer than 32 State Houses of Assembly have approved the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, 2026,” he said.
“We are now expecting four State Houses of Assembly to turn in their reports on or before the National Assembly reconvenes on November 17, 2026.”
Bamidele described the coming week as decisive, stressing that the National Assembly would move ahead with the process whether or not the remaining four assemblies submit their reports.
He said the legislature was now under obligation to transmit the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent, describing the move as necessary to advance national peace, progress and stability.
The proposed constitutional alteration seeks to replace Nigeria’s existing centralised policing structure with a system comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
State police advocates have argued that decentralising policing would improve intelligence gathering, community engagement and responses to local security threats, particularly amid persistent cases of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence.
However, the proposal has also faced concerns over the potential for political interference, abuse of power and the use of state-controlled security structures against political opponents.
Bamidele sought to allay such concerns, saying the proposed system was not designed to create ethnic or state armies but community-based policing structures operating within constitutional safeguards.
The Senate Leader also defended the broader legislative record of the National Assembly, saying its performance should be measured by the impact of legislation on citizens rather than simply by the number of bills passed.
He cited the Student Loan (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024, saying the Nigerian Education Loan Fund had disbursed more than N204 billion to applicants across 89 colleges, 108 polytechnics and 126 universities.
Other legislation he highlighted included the National Social Investment Programmes Act, 2023; Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024; Tax Reform Acts, 2025; Investments and Securities Act, 2025; Electoral Act, 2026; Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act, 2024; and laws establishing regional development commissions.
Bamidele also called for greater responsibility in the use of social media, warning against misinformation, character assassination and attacks on public institutions.
He said he remained committed to press freedom, an open parliament and sustained engagement with journalists, while urging media organisations to promote responsible dissemination of information.
The Senate Leader dedicated his Sun Senator of the Year Award to President Tinubu, his fellow senators, constituents and God, describing the honour as recognition of collective responsibility rather than a personal achievement.
He was accompanied to the award ceremony by former Ogun State governors Olusegun Osoba and Gbenga Daniel, as well as Senators Adetokunbo Abiru, Patrick Ndubueze and Francis Onyewuchi.
