State Police Bill Stalls As Only Four States Approve, 20 More Needed

The proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police is facing a major test at the state level, with only four of Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly Edo, Osun, Oyo and Rivers having so far approved the bill, Sunday Vanguard’s investigation has found.

With just 12 days remaining in the 30-day administrative timeline given by the National Assembly, at least 20 additional state legislatures must still concur with the proposed amendment for the constitutional threshold to be met.

The National Assembly transmitted the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16, asking them to consider the proposed amendments and communicate their decisions within 30 days.

However, investigations across the country show that the process is moving at markedly different speeds.

While some Houses have already approved the proposal, others are still studying the bill, some have only begun preliminary consideration, and several say they are yet to receive the document from the National Assembly.

The development raises fresh questions about whether the proposed reform, which has been repeatedly presented as a possible solution to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, can secure the broad state-level backing required to alter the Constitution.

Importantly, the 30 day period set by the National Assembly is an administrative target rather than a constitutional deadline.

Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, however, a constitutional amendment cannot proceed without the approval of at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly.

That means 24 of the 36 state legislatures must concur with the amendment.

With only four states having so far approved the proposal, another 20 Houses must still give their concurrence.

The findings also reveal that the bottleneck is not uniform. In some states, lawmakers have commenced formal legislative consideration, while in others, the bill appears to be caught in administrative processes, legislative recesses or consultations.

South-West: Four States Moving, Lagos Status Unclear

The six South-West states are at different stages of the process.

Osun and Oyo have formally approved the proposed constitutional amendment, while Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun are still considering the document.

Lagos has publicly endorsed the establishment of state police and called for an accelerated constitutional amendment, but its formal concurrence with the specific bill transmitted by the National Assembly remains unclear.

In Ondo State, the House confirmed that it had received the bill and circulated it among its 26 members for consideration.

The Assembly’s spokesperson and Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Olatunji Oshati, said the document had been read during plenary before being distributed to lawmakers.

“We have received the draft from the National Assembly. We have read it on the floor of the House and subsequently distributed it to the 26 members of the Assembly to study,” he said.

He said lawmakers would deliberate on the proposal and communicate their position to the National Assembly.

Ekiti State has also received the bill but is yet to commence substantive deliberation.

Jide Agbeyo, Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, confirmed receipt of the document in a letter dated September 16, 2026.

He said administrative procedures had to be completed before the bill could be listed by the House Rules and Business Committee for consideration.

Osun, however, has already crossed the approval stage.

The House passed the bill clause by clause on September 22 without altering its provisions.

The Speaker’s spokesperson, Tiamiyu Olamide, said the resolution had been compiled and signed by Speaker Adewale Egbedun for transmission to the National Assembly.

Oyo State has similarly approved the proposal.

The bill scaled its third reading after lawmakers sitting as a Committee of the Whole considered its provisions clause by clause.

The sitting was presided over by Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin, with the proposal approved without amendments.

In Ogun State, the Assembly has constituted a committee to examine the bill.

The committee includes former Speaker Olakunle Oluomo, Deputy Speaker Bolanle Ajayi and Majority Leader Yusuf Sherif Abiodun.

A source within the Assembly said the House had yet to take substantive action pending the committee’s report.

Lagos presents a different picture.

Although the Assembly unanimously endorsed state police in July and urged other state legislatures to expedite the process, checks indicate that there is no publicly confirmed record of a clause-by-clause vote on the full constitutional amendment package transmitted by the National Assembly.

The House was reportedly still studying the documents, leaving uncertainty over whether its earlier political endorsement has translated into formal constitutional concurrence.

South-South: Rivers, Edo Approve As Others Wait

The situation is similarly mixed in the South-South.

Rivers and Edo have approved the proposal, while Cross River has commenced consideration.

Delta and Bayelsa, however, are yet to take formal positions.

In Rivers State, lawmakers unanimously endorsed the constitutional amendment after Speaker Martin Amaewhule presented the communication from the National Assembly.

The Speaker said the proposal would provide the constitutional framework for establishing state police while preserving the Nigeria Police Force as the federal policing institution.

He also noted that the amendment contains 26 clauses, including 25 alterations to existing constitutional provisions.

Edo lawmakers also granted concurrence after a debate led by Majority Leader Osezua Ojiezele.

Supporters argued that state police would strengthen community level security and create additional employment opportunities.

Speaker Idaiye Yekini subsequently directed the Clerk to transmit clean copies of the resolution to the National Assembly.

Cross River has begun the legislative process after giving the proposal its First Reading.

Speaker Elvert Ayambem said the bill would proceed through the normal stages of consideration and debate before the House takes a final position.

Delta has confirmed receipt of the document but is consulting stakeholders before deciding.

In Bayelsa, the situation is less advanced.

The Assembly had received the bill but had yet to debate or vote on it as of September 25.

Sources attributed the delay to the Assembly’s prolonged absence from plenary, while another source said lawmakers were awaiting the governor’s position.

Northern Assemblies: Several Yet To Receive Bill

The biggest delays appear to be in parts of the North.

Investigations found that several Northern Houses of Assembly had either not received the bill or had received it but were yet to schedule it for debate.

Kano, Kwara, Kebbi, Taraba and Gombe were among states that said they had not officially received the communication from the National Assembly.

In Taraba, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Nelson Len, said the Assembly was awaiting the harmonised version before commencing consideration.

Kano lawmakers also said they could not deliberate on a document that had not been formally transmitted to them.

Kwara and Kebbi reported similar situations, while Gombe lawmakers were also yet to receive the bill.

In Kogi, the bill has been received but no debate has commenced. Deputy Clerk Bayo Aka said consideration could begin when the House resumes from its break on October 6.

Yobe received the document on September 29 but had yet to list it on the Order Paper.

Borno has also received and read the bill at plenary but is yet to debate it or take a position.

Clerk Shettima Garba said lawmakers needed sufficient time to examine the implications of the proposed amendment.

Adamawa has received the bill, although it had yet to be formally presented at plenary.

Benue is also yet to begin consideration.

Nasarawa Speaker Danladi Jatau confirmed receipt of the proposal on September 18 and said lawmakers would study it before taking the necessary steps.

Zamfara and Sokoto have similarly received the bill but are yet to commence substantive debate.

In Sokoto, Deputy Speaker Kabiru Ibrahim Kware said lawmakers would carefully study the proposal before reaching a decision.

Bauchi has moved slightly further, with the House constituting a committee chaired by Deputy Speaker Jamilu Ummaru Dahiru to examine the bill and submit a report within two weeks.

Plateau is currently among the Northern states where formal consideration has commenced.

The House received the communication through Governor Caleb Mutfwang, after which lawmakers moved for consideration of the proposal.

Speaker Naanlong Daniel subsequently directed the Clerk to proceed with the First Reading.

South-East Yet To Produce A Formal Approval

The South-East presents another important gap in the approval process.

Despite the region’s longstanding security concerns and previous calls for decentralised policing, none of the five South-East states had formally approved the bill at the time of the investigation.

In Anambra, the House had yet to commence debate.

However, the Speakers of the five South-East Houses of Assembly recently met in Awka and reportedly agreed in principle on the need for state police.

A committee is also said to be working on collating and harmonising inputs from the different states.

In Abia, the House is expected to consider the matter after lawmakers resume on October 6.

Acting Clerk Pastor Promise Onwukwe said members could not vote outside the chamber and that a formal decision would have to be taken during plenary.

“The House is currently on recess and will resume on Tuesday, October 6. Members cannot vote in isolation; it must be done in the hallowed chambers,” he said.

Enugu has yet to formally introduce or debate the proposal.

Imo lawmakers also did not consider the bill during their most recent plenary after returning from their annual recess.

Ebonyi, however, has confirmed receipt and promised an accelerated legislative process.

Speaker Moses Ijie Odunwa said the Assembly would give the bill expedited consideration because of its potential implications for security in the state and the country.

The Real Question: Will The Numbers Add Up?

The emerging picture presents a significant challenge for proponents of state police.

The proposal needs 24 state Houses of Assembly to concur before the constitutional amendment can move forward. So far, only four have done so.

That leaves 20 approvals still required.

More importantly, several states have not even reached the voting stage, while some are yet to receive the document they are expected to consider.

The uneven pace raises a critical question: Can 20 more state legislatures complete the necessary legislative processes in time to keep the constitutional amendment on track?

The answer will depend not only on political support for state police but also on how quickly the remaining Houses move from receipt and consultation to formal debate and voting.

The proposed reform has attracted support from those who argue that Nigeria’s centralised policing structure is incapable of effectively responding to security threats that vary from one state to another.

But concerns have also persisted over possible political interference, funding, training, accountability and the potential misuse of state police by governors and other political actors.

Those unresolved questions could influence how individual Houses ultimately vote.

For now, the constitutional amendment remains caught between broad political support for the idea of decentralised policing and the slow, fragmented legislative process required to make it law.

With only four states formally on record as having approved the proposal, the next few weeks could determine whether state police moves from years of political promises to an actual constitutional reality or encounters another major roadblock.