By Fatima Saka
The Senate has received approval from 30 state Houses of Assembly for the proposed constitutional amendment to establish State Police, exceeding the minimum 24 states required under the constitutional amendment process.
The Senate President disclosed this during Wednesday’s plenary, saying only six states were yet to communicate their positions on the proposed legislation.
He explained that the National Assembly had completed the passage of the bill and transmitted it to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for approval, in line with the provisions governing constitutional amendments.
According to him, the process requires three stages: passage by the National Assembly, approval by at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly and presidential assent.
He listed Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara among the states that had approved the proposed amendment, alongside two other states.
The Senate President said the 30 approvals had exceeded the constitutional threshold of 24 states, noting that the remaining six states should also be given the opportunity to communicate whether they approved or rejected the proposal.
He disclosed that the Clerk to the National Assembly transmitted the request to the 36 state assemblies on October 15, 2026, giving them until November 15 to respond.
He added that the National Assembly would transmit the constitutional amendment to President Bola Tinubu for assent after the deadline.
The Senate President expressed optimism that the remaining six states would communicate their decisions before November 15, adding that Kano State was among those expected to respond.
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State Police Bill Clears Constitutional 28 States Approve Amendment
He stressed that the position of all 36 state assemblies was important to ensure that every state had the opportunity to participate in the constitutional amendment process.
The proposed amendment seeks to establish State Police Services, allowing states to have their own police structures as part of efforts to decentralise policing and address security challenges across the country.
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