The Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, which seeks to provide constitutional backing for a dual policing system in Nigeria, has secured the approval of 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, meeting the two-thirds threshold required for constitutional amendments.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill disclosed this on Friday, saying the development clears a major legislative hurdle for the proposed establishment of state police alongside the Federal Police.
Chairman of the Working Group and Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the 24 approvals represented the constitutionally required threshold under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.
“The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill notes with satisfaction that the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, providing for a dual policing system, has been approved by 24 State Houses of Assembly, meeting the constitutional threshold of two-thirds of the 36 states,” the group said in a statement.
The Working Group commended the state legislatures for approving the amendment and thanked the National Assembly for passing the bill in both chambers.
With the required number of state assemblies having approved the amendment, the bill can now proceed to the next stage of the constitutional amendment process and be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to the President for assent.
The development is expected to provide the constitutional foundation for the National Policing Bill, 2026, which is designed to establish a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
The proposed framework is intended to strengthen policing at the grassroots by giving states a formal role in maintaining internal security while retaining a federal policing structure.
The Working Group said its work on the broader policing reform remained on course, noting that the draft National Policing Bill and related legislation were undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
It said the bills were expected to be returned to the Working Group on or before Friday, October 30, 2026, after which they would undergo final consideration before being presented to President Tinubu.
The Working Group had on October 19 announced the completion of the drafting phase of its assignment and the submission of the draft National Policing Bill, alongside 29 consequential amendment bills, to the Ministry of Justice.
The ministry’s review is aimed at ensuring that the proposed legislation conforms with legislative drafting standards and does not conflict with existing laws.
The Working Group urged stakeholders to support what it described as a smooth transition to a dual policing system capable of improving security and making Nigerians safer.
