Twenty-four state houses of assembly have approved the sixth constitutional alteration. This cleared the two-thirds requirement needed to establish state police services on Friday.
Nigeria’s push for decentralised policing crossed a constitutional threshold. The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill announced the milestone.
The milestone brings an end to wrangling over whether the nation should rely solely on a federally controlled police force. Femi Gbajabiamila is the Chief of Staff to the President. He chairs the Presidential Working Group. The Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, has met the threshold of two-thirds of the 36 state legislatures prescribed by Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.
While the required state approvals have crossed the legal benchmark — with reports indicating as many as 25 assemblies endorsing the amendment — the legislative machinery required to bring the change into force remains in motion.
State Legislatures Clear the Sixth Alteration Bill
The path to the two-thirds threshold involved a succession of legislative votes by state houses of assembly across the country. The National Assembly had formally transmitted the constitutional amendment to the 36 state legislatures on September 16, following its passage by the Senate on June 24 and the House of Representatives on July 23.
State houses of assembly in Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, and Bayelsa joined a wave of approvals that eventually pushed past the 24-state mark. In Ekiti, lawmakers passed the bill during a plenary presided over by Speaker Adeoye Aribasoye. In Akwa Ibom, the assembly adopted committee recommendations presented by Emem Udom without amendment, with Speaker Udeme Otong emphasizing that the framework would bring policing closer to the people.
Kaduna State also added its endorsement during a Thursday plenary overseen by Deputy Speaker Henry Dajuma. Henry Marah defended the move by pointing out that the existing security structure left state governments unable to hold police authorities directly accountable for security failures.
We are ready to prioritise funding for the state police, even if it means reducing expenditure on other projects.
Henry Marah, Kaduna State House of Assembly
Federal Ministry of Justice Conducts Drafting Validations
With the state approvals secured, the executive and legislative branches are coordinating the final technical preparations. The Presidential Working Group previously submitted its draft National Policing Bill along with 29 consequential amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.
That review is designed to ensure that the proposed statutes conform to national drafting standards and avoid conflicts with existing federal laws. Once returned, the Working Group will give the documents a final review before presenting them to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Dual Policing Framework Establishes Safeguards Against Political Abuse
The reform establishes a dual policing structure comprising a Federal Police Service and individual State Police Services. According to legislative details, the federal force retains its responsibilities for federal policing functions.
To address concerns from critics who fear state governors might weaponize local security outfits against political opponents, the framework incorporates specific institutional safeguards. These include civilian oversight mechanisms, human rights protections, independent police service commissions, national policing standards, intergovernmental cooperation protocols, and strict firearms control.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill notes with satisfaction that the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, providing for a dual policing system, has been approved by 24 State Houses of Assembly, meeting the constitutional threshold of two-thirds of the 36 states.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chairman of the Working Group and Chief of Staff to the President
The National Assembly will formally reconcile the state resolutions. This paves the way for presidential assent and the eventual enactment of operational laws by individual states.