MOMENTUM BUILDS FOR DECENTRALIZED POLICING AS EKITI AND KEBBI ASSEMBLIES PASS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BILL

Passage of Sixth Alteration Bill by two additional state legislatures brings total supporting states to 15, moving closer to the required two-thirds threshold of 24 states

The proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police across Nigeria has gained significant momentum following the official endorsement and passage of the bill by the Ekiti State and Kebbi State Houses of Assembly.

The legislative approvals bring the total number of State Houses of Assembly that have formally concurred with the National Assembly's constitutional alteration draft to 15, advancing the nation closer to the mandatory 24-state (two-thirds majority) requirement necessary for presidential assent.

In Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State House of Assembly passed the bill after it scaled second and third readings during plenary presided over by Speaker Adeoye Aribasoye. The House supported the legislative framework, emphasizing that a decentralized policing structure is critical to addressing localized security challenges, reducing response times, and enhancing community protection.

Similarly, the Kebbi State House of Assembly endorsed the constitutional bill, agreeing with the structural reforms designed to grant sub-national governments statutory powers to establish, equip, and manage state police services alongside existing federal security agencies.

With 15 state legislatures now formally in favor, constitutional law experts and security analysts project that ongoing deliberations across remaining state assemblies could soon meet the statutory threshold required to reshape Nigeria’s internal security architecture.