The process to establish state police in Nigeria moved to its next phase yesterday as the National Assembly officially transmitted the Constitution Alteration Bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for concurrence.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), any constitutional amendment passed by the National Assembly requires approval by resolution from at least two-thirds of the state legislatures—meaning at least 24 states must approve the bill before it can become law.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives had passed the executive bill seeking to permit the creation of state police forces shortly before going on legislative recess.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr. Kamoru Ogunlana, confirmed that the document, titled the *Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026*, was dispatched to the state assemblies on September 16, 2026, following directives from NASS leadership.
Although the official statement referred broadly to the Sixth Alteration Bill, the state police proposal is currently the only constitutional amendment item fully passed by both chambers, with other proposed amendments still awaiting final consideration.
While the Constitution sets no fixed deadline for state assemblies to vote on transmitted bills, Ogunlana noted that the leadership of the National Assembly has asked state lawmakers to complete their deliberation within 30 days.
“It is noted that the Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which the State Houses of Assembly are required to communicate their resolutions on a constitutional alteration Bill,” the statement read.
“Nevertheless, in the interest of an orderly, coordinated, and timely conclusion of the constitutional alteration process, the State Houses of Assembly are expected to consider the Bill and communicate their respective resolutions to the National Assembly within 30 days of receipt.”
The Clerk clarified that the 30-day window is an administrative guideline rather than a constitutional constraint, emphasizing that the National Assembly respects the legislative autonomy of state assemblies.
Ogunlana added that once state assemblies conclude their votes and return their resolutions, the National Assembly will proceed with the final steps to conclude the amendment process.
