House Approves Constitutional Amendment, Opposition Alleges Breach of Legislative Procedure
The House of Representatives has passed the executive bill seeking to establish state police services, with 311 lawmakers voting in support of the proposed constitutional amendment.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen announced that 276 members voted physically on the floor of the House, while 35 lawmakers participated virtually during the exercise, The News Edition reports.
The bill was approved after the House considered and adopted the report of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
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 (HB. 2797),” the legislation seeks to create the constitutional framework for state police across Nigeria.
The bill was recently transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu as part of his administration’s efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture.
Minority Caucus Stages Walkout
Shortly after the bill was passed, members of the Minority Caucus staged a walkout in protest, accusing the House leadership of violating constitutional provisions and the Standing Orders during the consideration of the amendment.
Addressing journalists, Minority Leader Fredrick Agbedi said the caucus was not opposed to the creation of state police but objected to what it described as procedural irregularities.
According to Agbedi, constitutional amendment bills must be considered clause by clause, with each provision receiving the constitutionally required two-thirds majority before passage.
The lawmakers argued that the House relied on a voice vote after reading only the long title of the bill instead of conducting a detailed clause-by-clause consideration as required by the Constitution and the House Rules.
Tinubu Pushes Security Reform
In the executive communication accompanying the bill, President Tinubu said the proposed amendment is designed to establish a dual policing system that will strengthen internal security and improve policing across the country.
He expressed confidence that the National Assembly would give the proposal expedited consideration as part of broader efforts to address Nigeria’s security challenges.
Following the passage of the executive bill, the House also rescinded its earlier resolution on state police adopted in June 2026 and dissolved the 12-member conference committee previously constituted on the matter.
The bill will now proceed through the remaining stages of the constitutional amendment process before it can become law.