• Lagos, Ondo, Ebonyi, Kogi, Niger, Borno, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto but to approve
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The constitutional modification in search of to determine State Police in Nigeria has crossed a serious legislative hurdle, with 25 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly approving the 2026 Constitution (Sixth (*25*)) Bill, surpassing the two-thirds threshold required for the modification to proceed to the following stage.
However, 11 States —Lagos, Ondo, Ebonyi, Kogi, Niger, Borno, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto — have but to approve the modification.
With the required constitutional threshold secured, the modification can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed the event in an announcement, commending the State Houses of Assembly for his or her decisive motion on the reform.
He additionally expressed appreciation to the National Assembly for passing the modification in each chambers.
The improvement got here because the National Policing Bill and 29 consequential modification payments have been present process legislative drafting evaluation and validation on the Federal Ministry of Justice.
Gbajabiamila defined that the approval by 25 state assemblies had supplied the constitutional backing required for the proposed twin policing framework.
He acknowledged: “The approval offers constitutional backing to the policing framework that the Working Group’s draft National Policing Bill, 2026 is designed to implement.
“The Working Group’s efforts stay on observe. The draft Bills are at present present process legislative drafting evaluation and validation on the Federal Ministry of Justice and are anticipated to be returned on or earlier than Friday, thirtieth October 2026. Thereafter, the Group will give them last consideration earlier than presenting them to Mr President.
“The Working Group urges all stakeholders to support a smooth transition to a dual policing system that makes Nigerians safer.”
The Presidency had on Tuesday disclosed that the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, was prepared.
Gbajabiamila defined that the Working Group had accomplished the drafting stage of its project and formally submitted the proposed National Policing Bill, along with 29 consequential modification payments, to the Federal Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting evaluation and validation.
According to him, the submission was made to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on Monday, October 19, 2026, in accordance with the Working Group’s work plan.
He mentioned the ministry’s evaluation would be sure that the proposed laws conformed to established legislative drafting requirements and conventions and didn’t battle with present legal guidelines.
The Ministry of Justice, he added, was anticipated to return the validated draft payments to the Working Group on or earlier than October 30, 2026.
Thereafter, the Working Group would give the payments last consideration earlier than presenting them to the President, thereby concluding its mandate.
Gbajabiamila acknowledged: “The proposed National Policing Bill seeks to determine the constitutional and legislative framework for a twin policing construction, comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
“The Working Group stays dedicated to a rigorous and clear course of that may ship a complete legislative proposal for consideration by the President and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.
“The work on preparing the National Policing Bill is proceeding alongside the ongoing consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 by the States Houses of Assembly, which must be completed before the Bill is transmitted to the National Assembly.”
The Presidency had final Thursday indicated that the National Policing Bill could be transmitted to the National Assembly inside two weeks.
Speaking with journalists after a steering committee assembly on the State House, Abuja, Gbajabiamila mentioned the proposed laws was nearing completion.
“The National Policing Bill is kind of prepared for transmission to the National Assembly. We will most likely have another assembly after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and ensure each space is roofed. So, we’re 90 % prepared.
“The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so,” he mentioned.
Gbajabiamila described the proposed laws as “the most consequential Bill of the administration so far,” explaining that it had undergone intensive deliberations for the reason that Working Group’s steering committee commenced its conferences on August 3, 2026.
Responding to issues that some states would possibly delay approval of the Sixth Constitution (*25*) Bill on state police, notably when solely about six states had reportedly authorised the modification, Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that the required help could be secured.
He maintained that there was a “national consensus” amongst Nigerians on the necessity for the constitutional modification.
“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he mentioned.
Those current at Thursday’s steering committee assembly, held on the convention corridor of the Chief of Staff’s Office on the State House, Abuja, included the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu; and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, represented by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba.
Others included the Chairman of the Policy Advisory Committee, Justice Abdullahi Liman (retd.); Head of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Professor Olu Ogunsakin; Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Dr Lanre Smart; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research and Secretary of the Committee, Nnadubem Moghalu.
Also in attendance have been a consultant of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association and AIG Abraham Nabhon Thomas, who represented the National Security Adviser, amongst others.
President Tinubu had, on July 7, 2026, inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to arrange the authorized framework for the implementation of state police throughout the nation.
The inauguration adopted the National Assembly’s passage of the Constitution (*25*) (State Police) Bill, 2026, which supplies for a twin policing construction comprising a Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
Tinubu had defined that though the constitutional modification would set up the framework for state police, the National Policing Bill would supply the authorized construction needed for its implementation.
“The Constitution Amendment Bill establishes the framework for dual policing, but it does not operationalise it. That work is left to the National Policing Bill,” the President acknowledged.
