TWENTY-FOUR state houses of assembly have passed resolutions in support of the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, which seeks to establish State Police Services across the country.
The proposed legislation was transmitted to the 36 state assemblies on 16 September 2026 by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, for consideration and approval.
The Sixth Alteration Bill amends Section 214 of the Constitution to replace the single Nigeria Police Force with a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, in a bid to tackle the country’s mounting security challenges.
Benchmark met
The constitutionally required 24-state endorsement benchmark needed for the bill to become law has now been met, though 12 states are yet to approve it.
Adamawa State became the latest to sign off, with its House of Assembly passing 24 of the Bill’s 26 clauses on Tuesday, rejecting two. At an emergency sitting, lawmakers — who had been on recess — spent over two hours reading each section before approving or disapproving it.
Speaker Bathiya Wesley, who presided, directed the Clerk of the House to produce a clean copy of the approved clauses and transmit them to the National Assembly.
The 24 states that have approved:
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
States yet to approve
Nine northern states have yet to approve the bill: Kogi, Niger, Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto.
Three southern states are also outstanding: Lagos, Ondo and Ebonyi.
Currently, 14 of the 17 southern states have endorsed the bill, while 10 of the 19 northern states have backed the move — five in the North-West zone, two in the North-Central and three in the North-East.
Working group commends assemblies
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has expressed satisfaction that the amendment has secured the required two-thirds majority of the 36 states.
The group commended the state assemblies for their “decisive action on a reform of national importance” and thanked the National Assembly for passing the amendment in both chambers.
In line with Section 9 of the Constitution, the amendment can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to the President for assent. The approval gives constitutional backing to the policing framework that the Working Group’s draft National Policing Bill, 2026 is designed to implement.
Source: The Nation
