National Assembly sends state police bill to Tinubu for assent
The National Assembly has forwarded the constitutional amendment bill proposing the establishment of state police to President Bola Tinubu for assent following its approval by 30 state houses of assembly.
The development was announced at Wednesday’s plenary, where Jibrin Barau, deputy senate president, read a notice issued by Kamoru Ogunlana, clerk to the National Assembly.
The notice disclosed that the clerk’s office had received confirmation of approval from 29 state assemblies by the close of business on Tuesday, November 3.
It added that the National Assembly leadership had instructed the clerk to forward the bill to the president on Wednesday, November 4.
However, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele later announced the names of 30 state assemblies that had endorsed the proposed amendment.
The approving states are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
Bamidele noted that the 30 approvals surpassed the constitutional threshold of two-thirds of the 36 state assemblies, equivalent to 24 states.
He outlined the three steps required to amend the constitution: approval by the National Assembly, endorsement by at least two-thirds of state assemblies and assent from the president.
“Passage of the bill was meant to be done by the national assembly, which was done, and approval is meant to be done by at least two-thirds of the 36 state houses of assembly in the country, and assent is to be given by the president to complete this process,” he said.
According to Bamidele, the requirement ensures that constitutional changes have the support of important stakeholders at different levels of government.
He described the development as an encouraging step for the country’s democracy.
Before the announcement, the senate had extended the deadline for the six state assemblies yet to communicate their decisions to November 15.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio stated that any state assembly that failed to submit its position before the deadline would be considered to have rejected the amendment.
The senate adopted the decision unanimously.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow the creation of state police services, as part of efforts to decentralise policing in Nigeria.
The amendment will take effect following presidential assent.
