The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the House of Representatives’ recent passage of the state police bill, calling for the constitutional amendment to be recommitted to a fresh and transparent legislative process.
The opposition party alleged that the constitutional threshold required to pass the alteration bill was compromised by illegal voting methods during the July 23 plenary session.
According to the ADC, the House achieved the required majority by accepting votes sent via the social media platform, WhatsApp, by absent lawmakers. The party also alleged that the leadership counted members who signed the daily attendance register but were no longer present in the chamber when the vote was cast.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi warned that bypassing constitutional procedures threatens the legitimacy of the proposed state police framework.
“The Constitution is not amended by convenience. It is amended through strict procedures that leave no room for improvisation,” Abdullahi said. “Therefore, regardless of the noble intentions behind the amendment, the constitutional process for amendment must not be circumvented.”
Beyond the voting irregularities, the ADC faulted the handling of the bill during its consideration. The party alleged that clause-by-clause scrutiny of the bill was rushed and that constitutional objections raised by some lawmakers were systematically ignored.
Abdullahi argued that the current version of the bill has not undergone sufficient public scrutiny despite introducing sweeping reforms to the nation’s security architecture.
“It is one thing to pass a bill for political expediency; it is another to ensure that it actually solves the problem it was intended to solve,” he stated. “Unless this bill is subjected to rigorous public examination, we risk enacting legislation that has survived only the echo chamber of the ruling party, rather than the searching questions of the Nigerian people.”
While affirming the ADC’s support for decentralizing the police to tackle Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, Abdullahi insisted that the process must be inclusive and secure public trust.
The party urged the House of Representatives to recommit the bill to a transparent process that allows for robust stakeholder input and guards against potential abuse.
The proposed state police bill remains one of the most high-profile constitutional amendments before the National Assembly. While proponents argue it will boost community intelligence and curb local crime, critics have warned that without strict constitutional safeguards, state governors could weaponize local police forces to intimidate political opponents.
