The Senate has defended the passage of the State Police Bill, insisting that the proposal is based on national consensus and Nigeria’s growing security challenges rather than political interests.
Lawmakers approved the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026 on Wednesday after more than two-thirds of senators voted in its favour. While the move has received support from several stakeholders, including the speakers of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, some groups have expressed concerns that state police could be abused by governors and worsen insecurity.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs in the Office of the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele described the State Police Bill as a necessary response to Nigeria’s security situation.
He said the legislation was “a child of necessity and not of political expediency as well as a product of national consensus and not of cynicism.”
According to Bamidele, the proposal did not emerge recently but originated from memoranda submitted to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. He explained that the bill went through extensive consultations and detailed scrutiny because of its importance to national security.
The Senate leader disclosed that the National Assembly engaged with the Executive, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, the leadership of the Nigeria Police, and other stakeholders before passing the bill.
He also noted that participants at public hearings held across the six geopolitical zones in July 2025 overwhelmingly supported the creation of state police in Nigeria.
“At each level of our consultation, nearly all stakeholders embraced the State Police Bill in the light of stark realities we are facing today,” he said.
Bamidele added that recommendations from the Nigeria Police helped shape provisions on accountability and oversight to reduce the risk of political interference or abuse. He said the police leadership’s backing further demonstrates the importance of state police in Nigeria as part of efforts to tackle insecurity at the state and local levels.
He also highlighted the bipartisan support the bill received in both chambers of the National Assembly.
“Even though the APC is the majority, there are members of opposition parties — PDP, ADC, NDC and Labour Party — that exercised their discretion in favour of the Bill, mainly in the national interest and not on parochial basis.
“In the Senate, for instance, 84 out of 109 members voted clause by clause in support of the Bill. This accounted for 77.06 per cent approval at the Senate alone,” he said.
Bamidele argued that national security should rise above political differences and urged opposition parties to offer constructive alternatives that would strengthen peace, stability, and governance across the country.
