Reps withdraw own state police bill, consider Tinubu’s proposal

The House of Representatives has withdrawn its proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police and will instead consider President Bola Tinubu’s Executive-backed proposal.

The decision was announced during Tuesday’s plenary after lawmakers gave the Executive-sponsored Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026 its first and second readings.

The bill was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Constitutional Review for further legislative action.

The move effectively suspends the House’s earlier proposal as lawmakers shift attention to the Executive-backed amendment.

President Tinubu had transmitted the bill to the House, seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide the legal framework for the establishment and operation of state police services across the country.

In his letter to the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, the President stated: “I am delighted to present to the House of Representatives for consideration the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to create a constitutional pathway for the establishment of State Police Services.”

Tinubu said the proposal builds on previous legislative work already undertaken by the House while introducing additional safeguards for the effective implementation of a dual policing system.

He added: “This Bill builds on the significant work already done in this regard by the House of Representatives and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure to address our nation’s evolving security challenges can be achieved quickly and effectively to the benefit of all Nigerians.”

Describing the legislation as central to his administration’s security reform agenda, the President urged lawmakers to expedite its passage.

“The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganise Nigeria’s security architecture to better protect our citizens, and I am confident that the House of Representatives will act quickly to consider and pass this Bill,” Tinubu said.

According to the President, the proposed constitutional amendment is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s response to evolving security challenges through a more responsive policing framework involving both federal and state police services.

The Executive bill will now undergo detailed scrutiny by the House Committee on Constitutional Review before returning to the chamber for further legislative consideration.

The transmission of the bill came barely two weeks after the Senate passed a similar constitutional amendment proposal seeking to establish state police services across the federation.

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