BusinessDay and Vanguard reported Nov. 3 that Clerk to Nigeria’s National Assembly Kamoru Ogunlana said his office had verified 28 state approvals, putting the proposal four above the constitutional threshold.
Section 9 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution requires approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, or 24, along with support from at least two-thirds of all members in each National Assembly chamber. EconoTimes previously reported that the 24-state threshold had been met by Oct. 23. The new tally moves the state count four above that requirement.
Voice of Nigeria reported that the National Assembly said the Senate passed the bill June 24 and the House of Representatives passed it July 23.
The Clerk’s tally is at least two below Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele’s stated minimum. Voice of Nigeria reported Oct. 30 that Bamidele said at least 30 assemblies had approved the amendment. Neither that report nor BusinessDay’s Nov. 3 account explained the difference.
The National Assembly sent the amendment to all 36 state legislatures on Sept. 16 and requested decisions within 30 days. That administrative window ended Oct. 15, but Ogunlana said his office would continue accepting reports until the bill is transmitted for assent. BusinessDay and Vanguard reported that administrative steps to facilitate transmission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are underway.
The proposal’s debate weighs security concerns against the risk of political misuse. The Associated Press reported that security analyst Ikemesit Effiong linked rising calls for decentralized policing to a sluggish response under centralized policing. AP also reported critics’ concern that governors could use state forces to advance personal agendas and silence critics.
Voice of Nigeria reported that a Sokoto lawmaker said a proposed State Police Service Commission would draw funding from the state’s Consolidated Revenue Fund; the report gave no cost estimate. Bamidele described the proposal as a break from more than 15 years of unsuccessful efforts to establish state police through the National Assembly, Voice of Nigeria reported.
Ogunlana said the Clerk’s office would continue receiving state reports until transmission for assent. Bamidele has said lawmakers aim to complete the remaining stages by December 2026, Voice of Nigeria reported.
