State police based on national consensus, not politics, Senate

The Nigerian Senate has defended its passage of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, asserting that the proposed establishment of state police stems from a national consensus and the country's pressing security needs, rather than political maneuvering.

Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate Leader, described the bill as a "child of necessity and not of political expediency" and a "product of national consensus and not of cynicism." He emphasized that the proposal addresses an urgent public matter that cannot be delayed by political interests, given the severe security challenges facing Nigeria.

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a child of necessity and not of political expediency as well as a product of national consensus and not of cynicism.

The Senate highlighted that the bill emerged from extensive consultations, including memoranda submitted to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. Consultations involved the Executive, the Nigeria Governors' Forum, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, the Nigeria Police, and other stakeholders. Public hearings across six geopolitical zones in July 2025 reportedly showed overwhelming support for state police.

Bamidele noted that recommendations from the Nigeria Police, particularly on accountability and oversight mechanisms to prevent abuse by governors, were incorporated into the bill. The proposal also garnered broad bipartisan backing, with 84 out of 109 senators voting in favor, indicating a unified national interest in tackling insecurity at state and local levels.

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At each level of our consultation, nearly all stakeholders embraced the State Police Bill in the light of stark realities we are facing today.