The proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria has received approval from 24 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, meeting the constitutional requirement for the amendment to proceed to the next stage.
The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday, October 23, 2026.
According to the statement, the approval by 24 state assemblies satisfies the two-thirds requirement for the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, which seeks to establish a dual policing system in the country.
The Presidential Working Group commended the state assemblies for approving the amendment and also acknowledged the National Assembly for passing the bill through both chambers.
The statement explained that, in line with Section 9 of the Nigerian Constitution, the amendment could now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to President Tinubu for assent.
If completed, the constitutional amendment would provide the legal foundation for the establishment of state police services alongside the existing Federal Police Service.
National Policing Bill Expected by October 30
The working group also disclosed that the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, was undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The group expects the process to be completed and the draft bills returned on or before Friday, October 30, 2026.
Following the review, the working group will give the bills further consideration before presenting them to President Tinubu.
It urged relevant stakeholders to support the proposed transition to a dual policing system, which is intended to strengthen security and improve the protection of lives and property across the country.
How the State Police Amendment Progressed
The National Assembly transmitted the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state assemblies on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval. The state legislatures were expected to communicate their decisions within an administrative timeframe of 30 days.
On October 9, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs Chairman Yemi Adaramodu expressed confidence that the amendment would receive the required support. At the time, he disclosed that Edo, Oyo, Osun and Rivers states had approved the proposal.
However, a report published on October 16 indicated that five state assemblies — Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara — had approved the bill.
By October 21, five additional states — Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara and Adamawa — had reportedly endorsed the amendment, bringing the number of approving assemblies to 10.
The latest announcement by Gbajabiamila puts the number of approving state assemblies at 24, representing the required two-thirds of the 36 states.
The proposed system would consist of the Federal Police Service and state police services, allowing policing responsibilities to operate at both federal and state levels under the framework to be established by law.
The completion of the constitutional amendment and the proposed National Policing Bill will determine the legal and operational framework for implementing the new policing arrangement in Nigeria.
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