***How Senate Manoeuvred Passage of Tinubu’s State Police Bill in 24 Hours

The Senate on Wednesday passed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, in a move that could fundamentally reshape the country’s security architecture by paving the way for the establishment of state police services while preserving extensive federal oversight powers.

The bill, transmitted to the Senate by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was accelerated through all legislative stages in the Senate within a single day, following a carefully coordinated political and procedural effort by the executive and the leadership of the upper legislative chamber.

Central to the proposed constitutional amendment is the creation of State Police Services alongside a restructured Federal Police Service, which would replace the existing Nigeria Police Force. However, despite granting states the constitutional authority to establish and operate their own police services, the bill preserves significant emergency intervention powers for the Federal Government.

Under Section 214 of the bill, the Federal Police Service would retain authority to intervene in the internal security affairs of any state under specified circumstances, including actual or imminent breakdown of public order, inability of a state police service to function effectively, threats to national security, or evidence of serious human rights abuses, partisan intimidation or unlawful conduct by state policing authorities.

The legislation further empowers the Federal Police Service, where necessary, to assume temporary operational responsibility, including command of a state police service or part of it, subject to presidential authorisation, Senate oversight and judicial review.

Leading debate on the bill, Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, described the proposal as one of the most consequential constitutional reforms in Nigeria’s democratic history.

According to him, the measure seeks to address longstanding concerns over the limitations of a centralised policing structure in a country with diverse security challenges, geographical realities and socio-cultural complexities.

Bamidele argued that while the existing policing framework had served Nigeria at various stages of its development, contemporary threats such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence, cybercrime and organised criminal networks had exposed the need for a more decentralised approach to law enforcement.

“The principal objective of this bill is to establish a constitutional framework for the creation and operation of State Police Services while retaining a strong Federal Police Service and maintaining national standards, accountability and oversight,” he told lawmakers.

The Senate Leader explained that states would only be permitted to establish police services after passing enabling legislation through their respective Houses of Assembly and meeting national minimum standards prescribed by the National Assembly.

He stressed that the bill contained robust safeguards against political abuse, one of the major concerns historically associated with state policing.

Under the proposed framework, governors would be prohibited from directing state police authorities to target specific individuals, political parties, associations or groups. The legislation also expressly forbids the use of police powers for partisan, ethnic, religious or sectional purposes.

In addition, the bill establishes State Police Service Commissions responsible for recruitment, promotion, discipline and oversight, while a reconstituted National Police Council would coordinate national policing policy and intergovernmental cooperation.

President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the proceedings, urged lawmakers to approach the debate with patriotism, diligence and an unwavering commitment to national interest.

Describing the measure as a historic legislative undertaking, Akpabio said Nigerians expected their leaders to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to growing security challenges.

“This debate represents one of the most important legislative responsibilities before the 10th Senate,” he said. “History will judge us not only by the laws we enact but by our willingness to confront difficult national questions with courage, patriotism and foresight.”

He called on senators to set aside partisan and regional interests and focus on the broader implications of the legislation for national security, public safety and the country’s federal structure.

Behind the smooth passage of the bill, however, was a combination of executive lobbying, Senate leadership coordination and procedural manoeuvring that compressed what would ordinarily be a lengthy constitutional amendment process into less than 24 hours.

The Senate leadership relied heavily on the chamber’s procedural powers to suspend or vary its rules in order to fast-track consideration of the proposal.

The bill moved through First Reading, Second Reading, Committee of the Whole and eventual passage within the same legislative day.

A crucial turning point came during a closed-door executive session that lasted nearly three hours. During the meeting, senators were urged to view the proposal as an urgent national security measure requiring expedited action.

Lawmakers were reminded of longstanding public demands for state police and the growing pressure on federal security institutions to tackle increasingly sophisticated security threats across the country.

Although some senators raised concerns about certain provisions, particularly those granting the Federal Government authority to intervene in state policing operations, the overwhelming mood in the chamber favoured passage.

One of the most notable interventions came from Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who questioned aspects of the proposed federal oversight mechanism. Supporters of the bill, however, argued that such provisions were necessary to prevent abuse, maintain national cohesion and safeguard constitutional order.

The significance attached to the legislation by the executive arm of government was evident in the attendance of key presidential aides during the proceedings.

Among those present was the President’s Chief of Staff and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, whose presence was widely interpreted as a signal of strong presidential backing for the proposal.

Proceedings also witnessed an unusual procedural dispute when Akpabio sought the consent of senators to admit the governors of Ondo, Ogun and Kaduna states into the chamber.

The request initially met resistance from lawmakers who argued that parliamentary rules did not permit governors to sit on the Senate floor during proceedings.

After consultations and persuasion by Senate leaders, senators eventually agreed to allow the governors into the chamber, citing their status as critical stakeholders in the constitutional amendment process.

Another remarkable feature of the day’s proceedings was the voting method adopted by the Senate.

Instead of electronic voting, senators were required to vote manually by rising to indicate support or opposition to specific clauses.

The open voting process ensured that individual positions were visible to colleagues and observers, a factor that appeared to strengthen support for provisions enjoying the backing of Senate leadership and the Presidency.

By the end of deliberations, the Senate had approved a constitutional framework that seeks to balance local policing autonomy with federal authority, while introducing safeguards aimed at preventing abuse and ensuring accountability.

If eventually endorsed by the House of Representatives, approved by at least two-thirds of state Houses of Assembly and assented to by the President, the legislation would mark one of the most far-reaching security and constitutional reforms since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.