Twenty-four of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly have approved a constitutional amendment to establish state police, meeting the two-thirds threshold required to advance the proposal for presidential assent.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, October 23, 2026.
The approval clears a major legislative hurdle for the proposed dual policing system, which would comprise the Federal Police Service and state police services.
According to the statement, the approval by 24 state assemblies satisfies the requirement under Section 9 of the Constitution for the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026.
“In line with Section 9 of the Constitution, the amendment can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to Mr President for assent,” the statement said.
The Presidential Working Group commended the state assemblies for approving the proposal and the National Assembly for passing the amendment through both chambers.
The proposed constitutional change is intended to provide the legal foundation for the policing framework outlined in the draft National Policing Bill, 2026.
The group said the draft bills were undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice and were expected to be returned by October 30.
It added that the Working Group would give the bills final consideration before presenting them to Tinubu.
The group also urged stakeholders to support the proposed transition, describing the dual policing system as a step towards improving public safety.
The National Assembly transmitted the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state assemblies on September 16 for consideration, giving them an administrative timeframe of 30 days to communicate their decisions.
Full list of 24 state assemblies that approved state police
1. Adamawa
2. Delta
3. Edo
4. Kwara
5. Nasarawa
6. Ogun
7. Osun
8. Oyo
9. Plateau
10. Rivers
11. Taraba
12. Zamfara
13. Enugu
14. Anambra
15. Imo
16. Ekiti
17. Kebbi
18. Akwa Ibom
19. Bayelsa
20. Benue
21. Cross River
22. Abia
23. Yobe
24. Kaduna
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