The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish State Police across Nigeria, marking a significant milestone in the country’s long-running debate over decentralizing law enforcement.
However, the historic vote was overshadowed by a dramatic walkout staged by members of the minority caucus, who accused the House leadership of violating constitutional and parliamentary procedures during the bill’s consideration.
The proposed legislation, formally titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for the Establishment of State Police Services and for Related Matters,” secured the constitutionally required two-thirds majority in the House.
The bill was transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu as part of the Federal Government’s broader security reform agenda aimed at addressing worsening insecurity through decentralized policing.
If harmonized with the Senate’s version, approved by at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly and signed into law by the President, the amendment will provide the constitutional framework for the establishment of state-controlled police services.
Presenting the report of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu described the proposal as one of the most significant constitutional reforms in Nigeria’s security architecture.
He praised President Tinubu for forwarding the executive bill, describing it as evidence of productive collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government.
According to Kalu, the proposed amendment is intended to bring policing closer to local communities, strengthen intelligence gathering, improve community policing, and enable state governments to respond more effectively to evolving security threats.
He emphasised that while the constitutional amendment creates the legal foundation for state police, crucial operational issues—including recruitment, training, funding, accountability and coordination with federal security agencies—would be addressed through subsequent legislation.
Kalu urged lawmakers not to allow the search for a perfect framework to delay what he described as an urgently needed security reform.
Proceedings took a dramatic turn during the Committee of the Whole when Speaker Tajudeen Abbas put the bill to a voice vote instead of conducting a clause-by-clause consideration and voting process traditionally associated with constitutional amendment bills.
Before the vote, Abbas announced that 311 lawmakers had indicated support for the legislation, comprising APC members, lawmakers from opposition parties physically present in the chamber and members participating virtually.
Following the Speaker’s declaration that the “ayes” had prevailed, members of the minority caucus staged a walkout, protesting what they described as a violation of parliamentary procedures.
The chamber briefly descended into disorder as lawmakers protested while the Speaker repeatedly used the gavel in an attempt to restore order.
Addressing journalists after leaving the chamber, Minority Caucus spokesman Afam Ogene insisted that the caucus supports the creation of state police but objected to the procedure adopted for passing the bill.
He argued that attendance for constitutional voting should be determined through the official register signed by lawmakers at the beginning of plenary, rather than through figures announced by the Speaker.
Minority Leader Frederick Agbedi also maintained that lawmakers were denied the opportunity to debate and vote separately on each of the bill’s 26 clauses as required under the House Standing Orders and Section 9(2) of the Constitution.
According to him, constitutional amendments require detailed clause-by-clause consideration and approval by a two-thirds majority for each provision.
Agbedi questioned how votes could be attributed to lawmakers who had walked out before the voice vote was conducted.
He stressed that the caucus’s protest was aimed at defending constitutional procedure rather than opposing the establishment of state police.
In a letter dated July 22, 2026, addressed to Speaker Abbas, the minority caucus reiterated its support for state policing while urging the House leadership to recommit the bill for further legislative review.
The lawmakers argued that the proposed constitutional framework still contains legal ambiguities, drafting inconsistencies, governance gaps and unresolved jurisdictional issues that require careful examination before final passage.
They also expressed concern over the financial implications of establishing state police, warning that many states currently lack the resources needed to maintain independent police services.
To address the funding challenge, the caucus proposed transferring 15 percent of the Federation Account allocation currently received by the Federal Government to state governments specifically to finance policing responsibilities.
According to the lawmakers, devolving policing powers without providing corresponding financial resources would create an unfunded constitutional obligation that many states may struggle to sustain.
They further recommended that constitutional lawyers, security experts, fiscal authorities and state governments be involved in refining the legislation before implementation.
The debate over state police has remained one of Nigeria’s most contentious constitutional issues for more than two decades.
Supporters argue that decentralized policing will improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community policing and enhance responses to local security challenges such as terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and communal violence.
Critics, however, have consistently warned that governors could abuse state-controlled police for political purposes, particularly during elections, while concerns remain over the financial capacity of many states to sustain independent police forces.
Despite Thursday’s controversy, the House’s approval represents a major legislative milestone for the proposal.
The constitutional amendment must still secure Senate approval and be endorsed by at least 24 State Houses of Assembly before it can become part of Nigeria’s Constitution.
