NEWS
#ICYMI: House of Representatives Drops Earlier State Police Bill, Adopts President Tinubu’s Executive Proposal in Major Legislative Shift
In a significant development in Nigeria’s ongoing constitutional reform process, the House of Representatives has rescinded its earlier Constitution Alteration Bill on the establishment of State Police Services, opting instead to consider a fresh Executive Bill transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
The move signals a strategic alignment between the Legislature and the Executive as both arms of government work towards creating a unified constitutional framework for the establishment of State Police, a reform widely regarded as critical to addressing Nigeria’s complex security challenges.
The House had previously passed its own version of the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill on June 11, 2026, before constituting a 12-member Conference Committee on July 9 to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the proposed legislation.
However, the emergence of President Tinubu’s Executive Bill prompted lawmakers to reconsider their earlier decision. The House concluded that the new proposal introduced broader constitutional, structural and operational considerations that required a more coordinated legislative approach to avoid multiple constitutional amendment processes on the same issue.
The decision was reached after lawmakers adopted a motion sponsored by the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Francis Waive (APC, Delta), seeking the rescission of the earlier resolution approving the House version of the bill and the dissolution of the Conference Committee established to harmonise the legislation with the Senate.
With the adoption of the motion, the House formally dissolved the Conference Committee, clearing the path for full legislative consideration of the Executive Bill.
The President’s proposal, titled the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2026 (HB. 2797), was immediately presented for First Reading and subsequently passed Second Reading after extensive debate led by the House Leader, Rt. Hon. Julius Ihonvbere, CON (APC, Edo).
Following the successful Second Reading, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Constitution Review for detailed legislative scrutiny and further action.
The House stressed that rescinding its earlier bill should not be interpreted as a reversal of its support for State Police. Rather, lawmakers explained that the decision reflects a deliberate effort to harmonise legislative and executive initiatives to produce a comprehensive constitutional framework capable of effectively addressing Nigeria’s evolving security realities.
According to the House, the objective is to ensure that the eventual State Police system is founded on a robust constitutional structure that clearly defines its powers, operational framework, accountability mechanisms and relationship with existing security institutions.
The latest development marks another major milestone in Nigeria’s constitutional amendment process and underscores the growing consensus on the need for innovative security reforms amid increasing calls for decentralised policing across the federation.
The House of Representatives reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing constitutional reforms through a transparent, rigorous and collaborative legislative process aimed at strengthening democratic institutions, improving governance and delivering a security architecture better suited to the country’s contemporary challenges.