The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives staged a dramatic walkout during Thursday’s plenary, protesting the passage of President Bola Tinubu’s State Police Bill and accusing the House leadership of violating constitutional procedures.
The lawmakers insisted that their action was not against the creation of state police, but against what they described as the failure to follow due process in amending the Constitution.
Addressing journalists after leaving the chamber, Minority Leader Fredrick Agbedi, alongside other caucus leaders, alleged that the Speaker ignored constitutional provisions while presiding over the Committee of the Whole.
According to Agbedi, constitutional amendment bills must be considered clause by clause, with each provision receiving the support of at least two-thirds of House members, as required by the 1999 Constitution and the House Standing Orders.
“The Constitution is the grand norm. It is the rule book from which even our Standing Orders derive their powers. For the Speaker… to disregard the clear provisions of Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution is a great affront to the workings of the House of Representatives,” Agbedi said.
The caucus argued that instead of examining the bill clause by clause, only its long title was read before it was passed through a voice vote, which they described as unconstitutional.
“We are not against the creation of state police. Whatever will help address insecurity in Nigeria, we are prepared to support. But every action taken by Parliament must follow due process,” the lawmakers said.
The Minority Caucus also claimed they had earlier met with Speaker Abbas Tajudeen to discuss possible amendments to the bill and were surprised when those discussions were not reflected during plenary.
According to the lawmakers, the Speaker also denied them the opportunity to raise constitutional points of order before putting the bill to a vote.
They questioned how the bill could have secured the constitutionally required two-thirds majority after opposition lawmakers had already walked out of the chamber.
“If we walked out of the House, where are our votes? Can anybody decide a constitutional amendment with a voice vote? It is not possible,” they argued.
The caucus warned that ignoring constitutional procedures could damage the credibility of the National Assembly and weaken Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
Meanwhile, despite the protest, the House of Representatives approved the constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish State Police Services.
According to Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, 311 lawmakers voted in support of the bill, with 276 members physically present and 35 participating virtually.
The bill, transmitted to the House by President Bola Tinubu last week, seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to create a legal framework for the establishment of state police across Nigeria.
In his letter to lawmakers, President Tinubu said the proposed legislation is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and addressing the country’s growing security challenges through a dual policing system.
The House adopted the bill after considering the report of the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
