The Senate has set November 15 as the final deadline for the six state Houses of Assembly that have not yet approved the proposed establishment of state police to communicate their positions. Lawmakers warned that any assembly that fails to respond by that date will be regarded as having withheld its approval.
The resolution followed an update by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, during plenary on Wednesday. He informed the chamber that 30 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly had approved the proposed constitutional amendment, surpassing the two-thirds majority required for passage.
Thirty States Back the Amendment
Bamidele listed the states that have approved the bill as Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
He explained that the number of approvals had exceeded the constitutional requirement of two-thirds of the 36 state assemblies, which represents 24 states.
The Senate Leader also outlined the three stages of the amendment process: passage by the National Assembly, approval by at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly, and presidential assent.
“Passage of the bill was meant to be done by the National Assembly, which was done, and approval is meant to be done by at least two-thirds of the 36 state houses of assembly in the country, and assent is to be given by the President to complete this process,” he said.
Senate President Seeks More Time
Although the approvals already exceeded the constitutionally required threshold, Senate President Godswill Akpabio appealed for additional time to allow the remaining six states to make their positions known.
“They should be given more time. Let’s give them till November 15 to respond,” Akpabio said.
He added that any assembly that failed to respond by the deadline would be deemed to have withheld its approval.
Bill Awaits Presidential Assent
The proposed amendment seeks to alter the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of state police services. It is a major security reform designed to decentralise policing and allow state governments to establish and manage their own police structures.
The proposal is expected to address longstanding concerns about the limitations of the centralised policing system, particularly in tackling insecurity across the country’s diverse communities.
Speaking on the bill on Wednesday, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, expressed excitement, describing the development as a major step towards the establishment of state police in the country.
“The State Police Bill has received the backing of state houses of assembly. Later today, the Clerk to the National Assembly will transmit it to the President for assent,” he said.
What the Deadline Means
The November 15 deadline effectively sets the timetable for the remaining states to formally register their positions before the bill moves to the President for assent. With 30 states already in support, the amendment has cleared the constitutional hurdle required for approval, but the Senate’s decision to grant extra time reflects an effort to allow every state legislature to be heard on the reform.
If the six outstanding assemblies respond before the deadline, their positions will be added to the record of concurrence. If they do not, the Senate has indicated that their silence will be treated as a withholding of approval, and the process will proceed on the strength of the 30 states that have already endorsed the amendment.
