The Nigerian Senate has passed the landmark constitutional amendment bill establishing state police across the federation, in what is already being described as one of the most consequential legislative decisions in Nigeria’s democratic history.
Lawmakers passed the bill on Wednesday, June 25, 2026, following a dramatic twist in proceedings when the Senate’s electronic voting device developed a technical fault, threatening to disenfranchise some legislators.
To resolve the impasse, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved a motion for the adoption of manual voting, which was subsequently adopted. Under the manual arrangement, each senator stood, announced their name, and openly declared their position on the proposed state police framework — a roll-call vote that brought transparency and gravitas to the historic exercise.
The passage of the bill fulfils a long-standing demand by Nigerian governors, security experts, and civil society organisations who have argued that centralised policing has failed to adequately address the country’s deepening insecurity crisis.
The bill, transmitted to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu, seeks to alter relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to create a dual policing structure — Federal Police and State Police — giving state governments a constitutional role in law enforcement within their territories.
The bill must still be ratified by at least 24 state Houses of Assembly before being transmitted to President Tinubu for assent.
Tags: State Police Bill, Nigerian Senate, Constitutional Amendment, Opeyemi Bamidele, Tinubu, Godswill Akpabio, Nigeria Policing Reform, 1999 Constitution, National Assembly 2026, Breaking News
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