Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, says 30 states have endorsed constitutional amendment, insists reform will strengthen community security as he urges lawmakers to measure legislative performance by impact on citizens

The establishment of state police in Nigeria has moved closer to reality, with at least 30 state Houses of Assembly approving the proposed constitutional amendment, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has declared, announcing that the National Assembly is targeting December 2026 to complete the remaining legislative processes and transmit the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

Bamidele, who is also Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, described the development as a historic breakthrough in the country’s efforts to restructure its security architecture, improve intelligence gathering and establish a policing system that responds more effectively to the security needs of local communities.

He disclosed this on Thursday while delivering a lecture to participants of Senior Executive Course 48 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State.

The lecture, titled “Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Governance through Proactive Lawmaking,” examined the role of strategic legislation in strengthening public institutions, improving national security and promoting effective governance.

According to the Senate Leader, the approval of the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026, by at least 30 state assemblies has satisfied the constitutional requirement for state-level concurrence, paving the way for the National Assembly to complete the next stages of the amendment process.

He explained that Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, requires the approval of not less than two-thirds of all State Houses of Assembly for a constitutional alteration of this nature.

“We are pleased to inform our constituents across the federation that State Police have moved from rhetoric to reality. We have already received formal reports from the State Houses of Assembly and, as of today, no fewer than 30 states have approved the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026,” Bamidele said.

He added that the National Assembly was now required to consider and collate the reports submitted by the state assemblies before passing the necessary resolution by a simple majority of members in each chamber.

Once that stage is completed, he said, the bill would be transmitted to the President and Commander-in-Chief for assent.

“We have set a clear timeline for ourselves. We intend to conclude all these legislative stages — consideration of reports, passage of resolution, and transmission for presidential assent — on or before December 2026,” he stated.

Bamidele stressed that the development marked a significant departure from more than 15 years of unsuccessful attempts to establish state police through constitutional reform.

“What this means is that State Police is no longer a campaign promise or a subject of endless debate. It is now a constitutional reality. It means that the security of lives, private property and public assets occupies a prime place in the legislative agenda of the 10th National Assembly,” he said.

He maintained that decentralising policing would enable Nigeria to develop a system better equipped to understand local terrain, communicate in indigenous languages, respond to community-specific security threats and improve accountability to the people.

The Senate Leader, however, clarified that the proposed reform was not designed to weaken the Federal Government or undermine national unity, but to strengthen Nigeria’s federal structure through a more responsive security framework.

According to him, state police would not amount to the creation of state armies, but would provide state-led, community-anchored policing within clearly defined constitutional safeguards, operational standards, oversight mechanisms and human rights protections.

He assured Nigerians that the National Assembly, under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, remained committed to completing the legislative process.

“The National Assembly remains committed to delivering on the establishment of State Police. We will not falter until every Nigerian, whether in Kuru, in Iyin-Ekiti, in Gusau or in Yenagoa, can sleep with both eyes closed,” Bamidele said.

10th NASS Prioritises People-Centred Legislation

Beyond security sector reform, Bamidele said the 10th National Assembly had prioritised strategic, people-oriented legislation designed to address critical national challenges and improve the welfare of citizens.

He argued that the effectiveness of a legislature should not be determined merely by the number of bills introduced or passed, but by the tangible difference its interventions make in the lives of Nigerians.

According to him, the National Assembly has enacted several laws addressing education financing, workers’ welfare, taxation, social investment, electoral administration, cybersecurity, investment regulation, insurance and regional development.

Among the legislations he highlighted were the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024; the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024; the four Tax Reform Acts of 2025; and the National Social Investment Programme Act.

Others include the Electoral Act, 2026; the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act; the Investments and Securities Act, 2025; the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act, 2024; and the laws establishing regional development commissions.

He said these legislative interventions reflected a proactive approach to governance, in which lawmakers anticipate emerging challenges, address institutional weaknesses and establish legal frameworks capable of supporting sustainable development.

Bamidele explained that proactive lawmaking could strengthen national security, drive economic transformation, improve public financial management, enhance electoral credibility and expand opportunities in education, healthcare and technological innovation.

He added that effective legislation could also promote environmental sustainability and improve relations between the different tiers of government.

Good Laws Alone Cannot Guarantee Good Governance

The Senate Leader cautioned that passing legislation was only one component of effective governance, stressing that laws must be properly implemented, adequately funded and regularly evaluated to deliver meaningful outcomes.

He observed that some laws could fail to achieve their objectives when they were disconnected from prevailing realities, inadequately funded or poorly administered.

“Good governance requires good laws. But good laws alone do not guarantee good governance. We require laws that are relevant, evidence-based, implementable, adequately funded, properly administered, effectively monitored, periodically reviewed and ultimately measured by their impact on citizens,” he said.

He therefore urged lawmakers and public institutions to adopt a performance-driven approach that places citizens’ welfare and measurable development outcomes at the centre of legislative activities.

According to him, the true value of lawmaking lies not simply in the passage of bills, but in the extent to which legislation resolves societal problems, strengthens institutions and improves the quality of life of the people.

Bamidele Seeks Stronger NIPSS-NASS Collaboration

Bamidele also called for stronger institutional collaboration between the National Assembly and NIPSS to improve legislative foresight, policy development and strategic decision-making.

He described the institute as a critical national institution with the capacity to bring together expertise from the public service, military, private sector, academia and other strategic sectors.

He noted that the multidisciplinary structure of the Senior Executive Course, which covers policy, strategy, leadership, economics, international relations, security, science and technology, as well as peace and conflict studies, positioned NIPSS to contribute meaningfully to the development of effective legislation.

He encouraged the institute to deepen its engagement with the National Assembly by providing research, policy analysis and strategic insights that could help lawmakers anticipate emerging challenges and develop evidence-based legislative responses.

The lecture was attended by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity, Senator Diket Plang; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tourism, Senator Pam Dachungyang; Director-General of NIPSS, Professor Ayo Omotayo; and former President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Mr. Adekunle Alonge.

The proposed state police framework remains a major component of Nigeria’s ongoing constitutional review process, with its anticipated completion expected to shape future debates on policing responsibilities, public safety and the country’s broader security architecture.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has disclosed that about 30 state Houses of Assembly have endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police, expressing optimism that Nigeria could adopt a decentralised policing system within weeks to strengthen the fight against insecurity.

Akpabio made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja when he received members of the Arewa Revival Project, a northern youth organisation with membership across the 19 northern states. He said the proposed reform would bring policing closer to communities, improve responses to local security threats and complement existing security structures.

“As I speak with you now, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, it may not take us a month before we have a state police system,” Akpabio said, adding that about 30 states had endorsed the constitutional amendment. His projection comes as the country continues to grapple with security challenges requiring stronger coordination and more effective law enforcement.

The Senate President expressed confidence that Nigeria would overcome its security difficulties, urging the youth to remain hopeful about the country’s future and support efforts to restore peace and stability. He maintained that decentralised policing could enhance the capacity of security agencies to tackle threats within their respective communities.

Akpabio also urged the visiting northern youths to mobilise grassroots support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, arguing that continuity would allow the administration’s economic and security policies to mature. He credited the government with pursuing economic diversification and tax reforms, while urging young Nigerians to counter what he described as paid social media propaganda against the administration.

He further alleged that some individuals criticising the President and his supporters online were being paid, advising the youths to organise periodic grassroots engagements to explain government policies and address misinformation rather than engage continuously in online exchanges.

Akpabio maintained that the administration needed time to consolidate its policies, expressing confidence that ongoing reforms would contribute to Nigeria’s stability and future development. However, the proposed state police system remains subject to the completion of the constitutional amendment process and the necessary legislative approvals.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shuaibu, on Saturday arrived in Maiduguri, Borno State, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to security agencies to rescue all abducted persons across the country.

Shuaibu arrived at about 11:00 a.m. at the headquarters of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, at the Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri.

His visit comes amid renewed efforts by security agencies to intensify operations against terrorists and bandits and secure the release of victims held in captivity.

The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, disclosed on Thursday, October 15, that President Tinubu issued the directive during a security meeting with heads of security agencies at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to Musa, the President directed security operatives to deploy all necessary resources to locate and rescue abducted persons, irrespective of where they are being held.

“The directive from the President is: all of us must go all out to fish out and rescue all those that have been abducted, kidnapped, wherever they are,” the minister said.

He added that the President had also ordered security agencies to ensure that no terrorist or bandit camp remained anywhere in the country.

“There shouldn’t be any camp of any terrorists or bandits anywhere in Nigeria,” Musa stated.

The Chief of Army Staff’s arrival in Maiduguri underscores the military’s ongoing efforts to strengthen counterterrorism operations in the North-East, a region that has faced years of insurgency by armed groups.

The renewed directive places further responsibility on security agencies to intensify intelligence-led operations, dismantle terrorist strongholds and secure the safe return of all abducted victims.