We’ll deliver state police by year end – Senate
The Senate has stated that it will complete the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to allow the creation of state police before the end of 2026.
The Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, on Friday, said that the upper chamber would immediately resume work on the constitutional review once plenary reconvenes next week.
This follows President Bola Tinubu’s request to the National Assembly to begin the process of amending the constitution to incorporate state police as part of efforts to tackle the nation’s insecurity challenges.
Speaking to members of the Senate on Wednesday night during an interfaith breaking of fast at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President said, “What I am asking for tonight is for you to start thinking how best to amend the constitution to incorporate the state police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, free our children from fear.”
Tinubu, while addressing members of the House of Representatives on Friday, urged them to ensure that the proposed constitutional amendment for the creation of the state police includes safeguards against potential abuse by governors.
He stressed that the establishment of state police should not be “a straight free fall for everybody,” but must be structured with checks and balances drawn from past experiences.
Pledging the Senate’s readiness to fast-track the amendment of the constitution to accommodate state police, Adaramodu noted that significant groundwork had already been done on the proposal before legislative focus shifted to the electoral amendment.
He assured Nigerians that the National Assembly would treat the amendment with urgency and conclude the process before political campaigns begin ahead of the next general election.
“We are going to commence the process of reviewing the constitution for the establishment of state police immediately we resume next week.
“We want to assure Nigerians that before the general election, we would have amended the constitution to allow for the creation of state police. We are going to expeditiously treat the matter. We are giving our assurance that before the end of this year, the amendment will be done so that we can have the state police.
“Before electioneering starts, we would have done and dusted it, then pass it on to Mr President for his assent,” the Senate spokesman said.
Adaramodu disclosed that consultations had been held across the country, including stakeholder meetings in the geopolitical zones and engagements with relevant sectors.
According to him, the committee handling the constitution review has already compiled reports and findings from the consultations.
“Before now, we had already done a lot; we went on a little break for the electoral bill, which has just been signed into law. We were under the pressure of time to deliver the electoral amendment. Then, immediately after that, we have to consider the 2026 Appropriation Bill. That is why we suspended plenary for just a few days. But now that we have dealt with that, we are picking the constitution review immediately,” he added.
Adaramodu described state police as a widely supported proposal, noting that it enjoys backing from key stakeholders in the country.
“State police is a popular demand. The President has signed into it, the state governors too have signed into it, and the National Assembly is in love with it,” he said.
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