25 Nigerian state assemblies approve state police amendment
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on ThisDay
Twenty-five of Nigeria’s 36 state assemblies have approved the constitutional amendment that would allow the creation of state police, exceeding the required two-thirds threshold. The bill can now return to the National Assembly before being sent to President Bola Tinubu for assent, according to presidential chief of staff Femi Gbajabiamila, cited by ThisDay.
Twenty-five of the 36 Nigerian state assemblies have approved the proposed Sixth Constitutional Amendment of 2026, which is intended to allow the creation of state police alongside the federal police. The required two-thirds threshold for proceeding with the process has therefore been reached, according to Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu and chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Police Bill, cited by ThisDay.
The amendment can now be returned to Nigeria’s National Assembly before being sent to President Bola Tinubu for assent. The assemblies of Lagos, Ondo, Ebonyi, Kogi, Niger, Borno, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto have yet to approve it.
The 2026 National Police Bill and 29 related amendment bills are currently undergoing legislative drafting and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice. Femi Gbajabiamila said the texts are expected to be returned to the working group by 30 October 2026 at the latest, before final review and submission to the head of state.
The development follows the announcement on 23 October that 24 states had approved the reform. The 24 Nigerian assemblies that approved the mixed police force had then crossed the constitutional threshold needed for the project to proceed.
