Unless something decisive happens in the next 12 days, the push for state police, widely canvassed as a response to Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, is facing a fresh hurdle at the state Houses of Assembly, with only four states – Edo, Osun, Oyo and Rivers having so far approved the proposed constitutional amendment.
A panoramic view of the entire country and Sunday Vanguard’s checks show that several other state legislatures are yet to commence consideration of the bill, while some have said they are still awaiting its transmission from the National Assembly.
The development is raising concerns over the pace of the constitutional amendment process, coming after the National Assembly transmitted the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16, seeking their concurrence.
The National Assembly had asked the state legislatures to communicate their resolutions within 30 days. However, the period is an administrative target and not a constitutional deadline.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, alteration of the Constitution requires approval by at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, 24 legislatures, before the amendment can proceed to the next stage.
With only four states having approved the proposal so far, the measure still requires the support of 20 more Houses of Assembly to meet the constitutional threshold.
But the slow pace of consideration, coupled with claims by some assemblies that they have not received the bill, has thrown up questions over the readiness of the state legislatures to meet the National Assembly’s administrative timeline.
In the North, several assemblies including Kano, Kwara, Taraba, Kebbi and Gombe said they were yet to receive the bill and therefore could not commence consideration, while Yobe, Borno, Nasarawa, Zamfara and Sokoto have received it but are yet to debate it.
