By Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (CON)
We have been monitoring public debates on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026 since its passage on June 24, 2026. Our observations show that Nigerians largely welcome the passage of the Bill with a conviction that it will significantly de-escalate the country’s security conditions at the subnational level.
However, we have noticed some dissenting voices that reduce the security of lives and property to mere partisan politics rather than objective engagement to further the national interest. They argue that the state police may be turned to a political tool; that the time is not ripe for its establishment and that it is a plot to take Nigeria back to the 1960s when the 1963 Constitution authorised the regional governments to establish police for the Native Authority, Local Government and Province.
Each of these positions – either for or against – has undoubtedly enriched our national conversation on the State Police Bill. However, we must bear in mind that the Bill is purely a child of necessity and not of political expediency; a product of national consensus and not of cynicism. It is, therefore, compelling to highlight the process that culminated in the passage of the Bill.
First, the process of accommodating state police in the country’s governance structure did not start recently. It was part of memoranda submitted to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. This memorandum has been subjected to rigorous process and multi-tiered consultation across the federation due its sensitive nature. During this process, the National Assembly broadly consulted the Executive, Nigerian Governors Forum, Conference of Speakers of the State Legislatures of Nigeria and the leadership of the Nigeria Police. In July 2025, we conducted public hearings in all geo-political zones, and the participants overwhelmingly approved it. At each level of our consultation, nearly all stakeholders embraced the State Police Bill in the light of stark realities we are facing today.
Second, the Nigeria Police submitted a comprehensive memorandum in support of the establishment of state police. The memorandum contained highly vital recommendations that helped the National Assembly to develop accountability and oversight mechanisms that can prevent the abuse of state police by some political actors. The resolve of the Nigeria Police to support the Bill obviously highlights its strategic national significance to deal with insecurity at local and state levels.
Third, the State Police Bill was subjected to intense debates at the Senate and House of Representatives. Even though the APC is the majority, there are members of opposition parties – PDP, ADC, NDC and Labour Party – that exercised their discretion in favour of the Bill, mainly in the national interest and not on parochial basis. In the Senate, for instance, 84 out of 109 members voted clause by clause in support of the Bill. This accounted for 77.06% approval at the Senate alone.
Globally, security is a collective public good that benefits citizenry across ethnic, political and religious divides. Political actors elsewhere always throw off their togas of partisanship and parochialism to support initiatives that will boost and reinforce national security. At this challenging time, this should be the approach of opposition parties. Even when they disagree on some grounds, they are under obligations to provide credible and useful ideas that can make our Nation better and greater. Unfortunately, they have not passed this critical test of opposition democracy. Certainly, the proposal to create state police is one of urgent public importance, which cannot and should not take a back seat because of anyone’s political aspirations.
Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, CON
Leader of the Senate,
Federal Republic Nigeria.
28th June 2026.