The Senate has assured Nigerians that it will complete the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to allow for the creation of state police before the end of 2026.
The Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, disclosed this in an interview with Sunday Punch on Friday, stating that the upper chamber would resume work on the constitutional review once plenary reconvenes next week.
The development follows a request by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the National Assembly to begin the process of amending the constitution to incorporate state police as part of efforts to tackle insecurity.
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Speaking during an interfaith breaking of fast at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tinubu urged lawmakers to prioritise the amendment.
“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,” the President said.
Addressing members of the House of Representatives on Friday, Tinubu also cautioned that the proposed state police structure must include safeguards against potential abuse.
He stressed that it should not be “a straight free fall for everybody,” but must be backed by checks and balances drawn from past experiences.
Pledging the Senate’s readiness to fast-track the amendment, Adaramodu said substantial groundwork had already been done before attention shifted to the Electoral Act amendment.
Adaramodu said, “We are going to commence the process of reviewing the constitution for the establishment of state police immediately, once 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.”
Adaramodu disclosed that consultations had been conducted nationwide, including stakeholder engagements across the geopolitical zones and meetings with relevant sectors.
According to him, the committee handling the constitutional review had 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 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.
The Senate spokesman described state police as a widely supported proposal.
“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.
