The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill on Tuesday said it had submitted the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.
This comes as Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara and Adamawa state assemblies approved the police bill alongside Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara, which had earlier endorsed the constitutional amendments required to institute state policing.
The proposed Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, was transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 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 as part of efforts to address the country’s security challenges.
In a statement signed Tuesday by the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, the group said it had completed the drafting stage of its assignment.
The PWG explained that the draft bill was submitted to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on Monday.
It said, “The submission was made on October 19, 2026, to the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, in line with the Working Group’s work plan.
In a statement signed Tuesday by the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, the group said it had completed the drafting stage of its assignment.
The PWG explained that the draft bill was submitted to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on Monday.
It said, “The submission was made on October 19, 2026, to the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, in line with the Working Group’s work plan.
“The ministry’s review will ensure that the bills conform to legislative drafting standards and conventions, and that they do not conflict with existing laws.
“The Ministry of Justice is expected to return the validated draft bills to the Working Group on or before Friday, 30th October 2026. The Working Group will then give the validated bills final consideration before presenting them to Mr President, thereby concluding its mandate.”
Gbajabiamila said the proposed National Policing Bill seeks to establish the constitutional and legislative framework for a dual policing structure, made up of a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
He added that the Working Group remained committed to “a rigorous and transparent process” that would deliver a comprehensive legislative proposal for the President’s consideration and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.
According to the former legislator, the work was proceeding alongside the ongoing consideration of the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 by the State Houses of Assembly, which “must be completed before the Bill is transmitted to the National Assembly”.
On October 15, Gbajabiamila told State House correspondents that the policing bill was “90 per cent ready” and would be transmitted to the National Assembly on October 29.
The Senate passed the bill on June 24, after which it was also passed by the House of Representatives.
Afterwards, the National Assembly sent it to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, where it must be approved by at least 24 state assemblies.
Tinubu inaugurated the seven-member Presidential Working Group on July 7, with its steering committee starting work on August 3.
He mandated it to produce a “technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill.’’
When asked how long the review by the justice ministry would take, Kamarudeen Ogundele, the Special Assistant, Media, to the AGF, said, “Is there any rule that says that it must be done within one week, two months, three months or four months? When did we start having periods within which a case should be treated and sent for approval?
‘’I am not in the position to confirm that now. This thing has a procedure; it has a process, and due process must be followed. So, now saying that maybe it has to be done within one week or two weeks or whatever, where no law says it must be done within that period or whatever, is unnecessary,” he added.
The Senate also declined to comment on the Executive’s proposed timeline, saying it would wait until it formally receives the bills before taking a position.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH.
“Well, we cannot pass comment on what the Executive said until we receive correspondence from them,” he said.
Adaramodu, however, described the proposed legislation as a matter of public interest that lawmakers were determined to conclude expeditiously.
The Senate spokesman dismissed concerns over delays by state assemblies in approving the constitutional amendment, despite the expiration of the 30-day deadline set for them to submit their inputs.
He explained that the deadline was intended for state legislatures to communicate their positions, adding that the Senate would consider their responses alongside the executive’s proposals.
“All those things (state approvals) will be brought to us, and we will put them under consideration because we are still going to hold a conference to address it.
“Again, you need to understand that the 30-day deadline is not for us. It is for the states to send in their inputs. And they have been doing that,” he said.
Adaramodu expressed confidence that all states would have submitted their responses by the time the executive formally transmitted its proposals. He maintained that the process would not undermine the Senate’s commitment to passing the legislation before the end of the year.
Ogun State House of Assembly passed a resolution supporting the consideration of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, on the establishment of State Police Services.
The assembly, during its sitting on Tuesday, passed the resolution, titled: ‘H.R. No. 194/OG/2025- Consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ( 1999) (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 (Establishment of State Police Services).’
The passage of the resolution followed the presentation of the report of the Ad-hoc Committee on Constitutional Review chaired by a former Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, who presented the committee’s report on 26 clauses and sectional amendments to the Constitution.
Oluomo took the proposed amendments one after the other, with members voting in favour of all the clauses and sections contained in the amendments.
The proposed amendments covered different aspects of the bill, including the substitution, insertion and alteration of specific constitutional provisions.
The lawmaker later moved the motion for the adoption of the committee’s report, seconded by Adegoke Adeyanju and supported by all the members through a voice vote.
The House Leader, Yusuf Sherif, subsequently moved that the report be adopted as a resolution of the House, seconded by the Chief Whip, Omolola Bakare, and was unanimously supported by all the lawmakers through a voice vote.
In his remarks, the Speaker, Daisi Elemide, said, “The Assembly joined other state Houses of Assembly across the country in supporting the establishment of State Police, and this decision is historic.
“The passage of the resolution reflected the position of the lawmakers and the people of the State in supporting the establishment of State Police to strengthen security, through improved security measures in protecting the lives and property of the citizenry, thereby promoting the social well-being and economic development of the state”
Elemide later directed that a clean copy of the resolution be transmitted to the National Assembly to communicate the state’s support for the establishment of State Police Services.
Delta approves bill
Similarly, members of the Delta State House of Assembly unanimously approved the 6th Alteration Bill of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to provide for the establishment of State Police Services.
All 23 members present at plenary on Tuesday, through head count, voted in favour of the bill.
The letter, which was read on the floor by the Speaker, Emomotimi Guwor, outlined the objective of the bill, which seeks to provide a constitutional framework for the establishment of State Police Services while preserving the Nigeria Police Force as the Federal Police Service.
Leading the debate on the merits of the bill, the Majority Leader, Emeka Nwaobi, said, “The proposed amendment aims to guarantee security of lives and property through a dual policing system, allowing states to establish and fund their own police services to address rising cases of insecurity, particularly at the local level.”
Other lawmakers, who spoke in favour of the bill, affirmed their support, noting that it would strengthen local intelligence gathering, improve response to security challenges, create employment opportunities and help tackle insecurity at the grassroots.
Guwor commended the members for their support and patriotism, assuring that “the establishment of state police would go a long way in strengthening grassroots policing and creating a safer environment for investment and development to thrive in Delta State in line with the M.O.R.E Agenda of the Oborevwori administration.”
Guwor, who is also the Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, stated, “Distinguished colleagues, I commend you for approving the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, in line with section 9 sub-section (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered).
“This is a significant step towards the establishment of State Police in Nigeria. It brings us closer to a policing system that is more responsive to our communities, improves intelligence gathering and strengthens our capacity to tackle security challenges.
“For Delta State, this reform holds great promise for protecting lives and property, sustaining peace and creating a safer environment for investment and development in line with the M.O.R.E Agenda of our amiable Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.
“I congratulate this Honourable House on this important resolution. May our collective efforts continue to advance peace, security and good governance in Delta State and Nigeria in general.”
The speaker, thereafter, directed the Clerk of the House, Otto Aghoghophia, to communicate the resolution of the Delta State House of Assembly to the National Assembly, accordingly.
Earlier at the plenary, the House observed a one-minute silence in honour of former Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, who passed away on Monday.
Adamawa rejects clauses
The Adamawa State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed 24 out of 26 clauses of the state Police Bill, 2026, rejecting two clauses.
At an emergency sitting on Tuesday, the lawmakers, who had been on recess in China, spent over two hours reading each section of the Alteration Bill for members to approve or disapprove.
Speaker Bathiya Wesley, who presided over the session, directed the Clerk of the House to produce a clean copy of the approved 24 clauses and transmit them to the National Assembly.
Speaking to journalists after the sitting, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Musa Kallam, representing Mayo-Belwa State Constituency, pointed out that state policing would help combat criminal activities in the country.
On the two rejected clauses, he disclosed that they were not properly defined and that the majority of the members were not clear on those clauses.
“Some of my colleagues were not clear on those clauses, and they decided to reject them. Since they were in the majority, there is nothing we can do.”
On the concern that governors could deploy state police against their political opponents, he clarified that the Constitutional alteration had stipulated the limit of governors’ powers in controlling state police.
“Let us not jump to the conclusion that state governors will take over when the state police take off, and if there is anything that the National Assembly feels should be amended to strengthen the state police, the Constitution will still be amended. The idea of state police is fantastic and must be sustained,” he noted.
