ABUJA — The National Assembly has transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the Houses of Assembly of the 36 states for consideration and approval, moving the proposed establishment of state police to the next stage of the constitutional amendment process.
The bill was transmitted on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, following a directive from the leadership of the federal legislature and in accordance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Ogunlana said the state legislatures are expected to consider the bill in line with their respective legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly within 30 days of receiving it.
He, however, clarified that the 30-day period is an administrative timeframe and not a constitutional deadline, noting that the Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which state Houses of Assembly must communicate their resolutions on constitutional alteration bills.
The transmission places the proposed state police amendment before the state legislatures, whose approval is constitutionally required before the process can proceed.
Under Section 9 of the Constitution, a constitutional alteration requires approval by at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly — meaning at least 24 state legislatures must concur with the amendment.
The state police proposal is the only constitutional amendment bill in the current exercise that has so far been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, according to reports. The Senate passed the executive-backed bill in June, while the House of Representatives subsequently passed it in July.
The National Assembly stressed that the State Houses of Assembly remain constitutionally independent in considering the proposed amendment and that the transmission is intended to facilitate their constitutional responsibility rather than dictate the outcome of their deliberations.
Ogunlana said the National Assembly remains committed to due process, institutional cooperation and compliance with the Constitution throughout the amendment exercise.
The next step will depend on the resolutions transmitted by the state legislatures. Once the National Assembly receives the resolutions, it will proceed with the subsequent constitutional steps required by law.
