The House of Representatives approved the Constitution Alteration Bill for State Police on Thursday, with 289 members voting yes, 1 voting no, and 0 abstaining.
The vote happened after quorum was confirmed at 290 members, meeting the constitution’s two-thirds requirement for the 360-member House.
The 18-clause bill amends Sections 214–216 of the 1999 Constitution. It creates a framework for state-level policing with clear rules on coordination, oversight, accountability, and division of duties between federal and state police. The goal: security that responds faster to local realities. 
The bill was read for the third time and prioritized as part of the ongoing constitutional review. Voting on other amendment bills was postponed.
Speaker Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen called it “a decisive constitutional step” toward policing that’s closer to the people while keeping Nigeria’s unity intact. “Security is the foundation upon which every other aspiration of nationhood rests,” he said.
Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who chairs the Constitution Review Committee, said the vote reflects national consensus on reforming the security sector and improving governance.
State Police is one piece of a larger amendment package. Others include electoral reforms, judicial reforms, local government autonomy, devolution of powers, fiscal reforms, and human rights changes.
The House said it remains committed to a transparent review process aimed at strengthening democracy, security, and governance nationwide.
