The Senate has defended the passage of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, insisting that the proposed establishment of state police is driven by the country’s security needs and broad national consensus, not political interests.
The bill, which was passed on Wednesday after securing the support of more than two-thirds of senators, has received backing from several stakeholders, including the 36 State Houses of Assembly. However, some groups have expressed concerns that state police could be abused by state governors.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Office of the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, described the bill as a necessary response to Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
“The State Police Bill is a child of necessity, not political expediency. It is a product of national consensus, not cynicism,” Bamidele said.
He explained that the proposal was not a recent initiative but emerged from memoranda submitted during the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, the National Assembly held extensive consultations with the Presidency, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, the Nigeria Police Force, and other stakeholders before approving the bill.
Bamidele noted that participants at public hearings held across the country’s six geopolitical zones overwhelmingly supported the creation of state police, while recommendations from the Nigeria Police helped shape accountability and oversight measures to prevent abuse.
He also disclosed that the bill received bipartisan support in the National Assembly, with 84 out of 109 senators voting in favour.
“National security should rise above political differences. The support the bill received reflects the collective desire to strengthen security across the country,” he added.
The Senate Leader urged opposition parties to offer constructive alternatives that would enhance peace, security and national development rather than politicising important national issues.
