NEWS
State Police Amendment Moves to 36 State Assemblies as National Assembly Begins Next Constitutional Hurdle
The proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria has entered a crucial new phase after the National Assembly transmitted the 2026 Constitution alteration bill to the Houses of Assembly of all 36 states of the federation.
The development marks the next major stage in the constitutional amendment process and places the proposal directly before state lawmakers, whose decisions will determine whether the measure can advance towards becoming part of Nigeria’s supreme law.
The bill was transmitted to the state legislatures on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, following its consideration and passage by the National Assembly. The proposal for state police is contained in the broader Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026.
The transmission means that lawmakers across the 36 states are now expected to examine the proposed constitutional changes, debate their implications and communicate their respective positions in line with their legislative procedures.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Thursday, explaining that the transmission was carried out pursuant to the constitutional procedure for altering the 1999 Constitution.
“The National Assembly has commenced the next stage of the constitutional alteration process with the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 to the Houses of Assembly of the 36 States of the Federation for their consideration and approval.
“The Clerk to the National Assembly has, pursuant to the directive of the leadership of the National Assembly, transmitted the Bill to the respective State Houses of Assembly in accordance with Section 9 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) today, 16th September, 2026,” he said.
The National Assembly has requested that the state legislatures consider the bill and communicate their resolutions within 30 days of receiving it.
Ogunlana, however, clarified that the 30-day period should not be interpreted as a constitutional deadline. Rather, it is an administrative timeframe designed to facilitate an orderly and coordinated consideration of the proposals by the state legislatures.
This distinction is significant because Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution does not prescribe a specific number of days within which State Houses of Assembly must respond to a constitutional alteration bill.
Consequently, the 36 state legislatures are expected to consider the proposals in accordance with their constitutional responsibilities and respective legislative procedures.
A major hurdle facing the state police proposal is the constitutional requirement for approval by at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly.
With 36 state legislatures in the federation, the proposal requires the support of at least 24 states before the relevant constitutional amendment can proceed to the subsequent stages of the process.
Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution provides the framework for constitutional alterations and requires the support of not less than two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly after the National Assembly has passed the proposed amendment.
The requirement places significant responsibility on the state legislatures, as their decisions will determine whether the state police proposal can clear another major constitutional hurdle. The proposed creation of state police has emerged as one of the major issues in the ongoing constitutional review exercise.
The Senate passed the bill seeking to establish state police in June 2026, after which the House of Representatives considered the proposal. With the measure having cleared the federal legislative stage, its transmission to the states now shifts the focus to the 36 State Houses of Assembly. The proposal seeks to modify Nigeria’s existing policing structure by creating a constitutional framework for state police services that would operate alongside the federal police structure.
The Senate version included provisions dealing with the administration and operation of state police, including the role of state authorities within the proposed policing arrangement.
However, passage by the National Assembly does not by itself establish state police. The proposal must still satisfy the remaining constitutional requirements, including the approval threshold among the state legislatures. The 2026 constitutional amendment exercise extends beyond the question of state police. The National Assembly is considering more than 30 proposals seeking changes to different aspects of the 1999 Constitution. The proposals cover a broad range of issues relating to governance, elections, political representation and the relationship between federal and state authorities. Among the other matters under consideration are local government autonomy, independent candidacy and reserved legislative seats for women, alongside other proposed constitutional reforms.
The state legislatures are expected to consider the proposals before communicating their resolutions to the National Assembly. The responses from the states will subsequently be collated by the National Assembly, which will determine the appropriate next steps based on the outcome. The immediate responsibility now rests with the 36 State Houses of Assembly.
Each legislature will receive and examine the constitutional alteration bill before debating the proposed changes and taking a position through its established legislative process. For the state police proposal, the key constitutional threshold is approval by at least 24 state legislatures. If the required number of State Houses of Assembly approves the relevant amendment, the process will proceed to the subsequent constitutional stages. If the required threshold is not achieved, the proposed amendment cannot be completed through the constitutional alteration process. The development therefore represents a significant transition in the 2026 constitutional review exercise, moving the debate from the National Assembly to the state legislatures.
For now, the proposed state police structure remains a constitutional amendment proposal rather than an operational reality, with its future dependent on the outcome of the consideration and approval process across Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly.