Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The Presidency on Friday has expressed happiness as State Police Amendment Bill scales constitutional hurdle in 24 out of the 36 states of the federation.
Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, famous with satisfaction that the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, offering for a twin policing system, has been permitted by 24 State Houses of Assembly, assembly the constitutional threshold of two-thirds of the 36 states.
Gbajabiamila, in a launch,recommended the State Houses of Assembly for his or her decisive motion on this reform of nationwide significance and appreciates the National Assembly for passing the modification in each chambers.
According to him, consistent with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, the modification can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to Mr President for assent.
Gbajabiamila additional stated: “The approval gives constitutional backing to the policing framework that the Working Group’s draft National Policing Bill, 2026 is designed to implement.
“The Working Group’s efforts remain on track. The draft Bills are currently undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice and are expected to be returned on or before Friday, 30th October 2026. Thereafter, the Group will give them final consideration before presenting them to Mr President.
“The Working Group urges all stakeholders to support a smooth transition to a dual policing system that makes Nigerians safer.”
The Presidency had on Tuesday disclosed that the draft of the 2026 National Policing Bill is prepared.
Gbajabiamila, acknowledged in a launch that the group has accomplished the drafting stage of its task and has formally submitted the draft National Policing Bill (2026), along with 29 consequential modification payments, to the Federal Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting evaluation and validation.
According to him, the submission passed off on Monday, nineteenth October, 2026, to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, consistent with the Working Group’s work plan whereas the Ministry’s evaluation will be certain that the payments conform to legislative drafting requirements and conventions, and that they don’t battle with current legal guidelines.
The Ministry of Justice, he additional stated, is anticipated to return the validated draft payments to the Working Group on or earlier than Friday, thirtieth October 2026 and the Working Group will then give the validated payments remaining consideration earlier than presenting them to Mr President, thereby concluding its mandate.
Gbajabiamila additional stated: The proposed National Policing Bill seeks to determine the constitutional and legislative framework for a twin policing construction, comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
“The Working Group remains committed to a rigorous and transparent process that will deliver a comprehensive legislative proposal for consideration by the President and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.
“The work on preparing the National Policing Bill is proceeding alongside the ongoing consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 by the States Houses of Assembly, which must be completed before the Bill is transmitted to the National Assembly.”
The Presidency had final Thursday hinted that the National Policing Bill will probably be transmitted to the National Assembly inside two weeks.
Gbajabiamila had instructed newsmen after the steering committee assembly on the State House in Abuja that “The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly. We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90% ready.
“The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so.”
He described the invoice as ‘the most consequential Bill of the administration so far’ including that it has undergone strenuous workouts in the previous couple of weeks because the working group’s steering committee started deliberations on August 3, 2026.
Also commenting on the potential for the states dragging their ft on the passage of the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill (State Police), particularly in opposition to the backdrop of the data that solely about six states had handed the modification out of the 36 states and the FCT, Gbajabiamila affirmed that there was a “national consensus” amongst Nigerians on the necessity for the amendments.
“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he stated.
Members of the committee current on the Thursday’s assembly held on the convention corridor of the Chief of Staff Office on the State House, Abuja, have been Chairman of the Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRazak AbdulRahman; Governors Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State; Uba Sani, Kaduna State; Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice represented by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba.
Others included Chairman, Policy Advisory Committee, Justice Abdullahi Liman (rtd); Head, Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Professor Olu Ogunsakin; Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Dr Lanre Smart; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research who additionally doubles because the Secretary of the Committee, Nnadubem Moghalu; consultant of the President of the Nigerian Bar (*24*); and AIG Abraham Nabhon Thomas, representing the National Security Adviser, amongst others.
President Bola Tinubu had on July 7, 2026, inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to organize the authorized framework for the implementation of state police throughout the nation.
The Working Group’s inauguration adopted the National Assembly’s passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, during which the President proposes a twin policing construction comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
Tinubu had pisited that whereas the constitutional modification creates the framework for state police, the National Policing Bill would offer the authorized construction for its implementation.“The Constitution Amendment Bill establishes the framework for dual policing, but it does not operationalise it. That work is left to the National Policing Bill.”
According to him, the proposed laws would deal with points obligatory for a clean operationalisation of the State Police system.
“The proposed National Policing Bill will include provisions on minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards and fiscal conditions.”
The President stated the committee will produce an implementation-ready draft invoice instantly after the constitutional modification course of.
“The Working Group has been constituted to produce a technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly,” Tinubu stated.
He stated the committee was essential to keep away from delays after the State Police invoice handed.
“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” he stated.
