Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has given four remaining state Houses of Assembly until November 17 to submit their reports on the proposed creation of state police ahead of the National Assembly’s resumption.
Bamidele said 32 state assemblies had approved the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, 2026, while the remaining four were expected to submit their reports before lawmakers proceeded with the next stage of the constitutional amendment process.
He disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday after receiving The Sun Senator of the Year Award for his contributions to parliamentary leadership and lawmaking.
The Senate Leader received the award from the founder of The Sun Publishing Limited and Chairman of the South-East Development Commission, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
He said the proposed establishment of state police had moved beyond years of political debate and was gradually becoming a reality.
According to Bamidele, the National Assembly had secured the constitutional threshold required for the proposed amendment under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution.
He said, “As shown in the records of the National Assembly, no fewer than 32 State Houses of Assembly have approved the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, 2026. With this, we have successfully crossed the constitutional threshold under Section 9(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“We are now expecting four State Houses of Assembly to turn in their reports on or before the National Assembly reconvenes on November 17, 2026. This suggests that next week is going to be decisive and defining in the National Assembly.
“Whether the remaining states turn in their reports or not, we must move forward and fulfil the aspiration of our people.”
He added that the National Assembly would transmit the proposed amendment to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
“We are now under obligation to transmit the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, 2026 to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency Bola Tinubu for assent. This is a responsibility we must consciously discharge on behalf of our constituents and in the interest of national peace, progress, and stability,” he said.
The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to establish a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, marking a major restructuring of Nigeria’s centralised policing system.
The push for state police has gained momentum amid persistent security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and communal violence, which have continued to stretch security agencies across the country.
However, previous efforts to decentralise policing have faced opposition over concerns about political interference, abuse of power and the possible use of state security agencies against political opponents.
Addressing these concerns, Bamidele said the proposed arrangement was not designed to create ethnic or state armies but to establish community-based policing structures operating within constitutional safeguards.
He also called for proactive lawmaking, arguing that legislation should address emerging challenges and deliver measurable improvements in citizens’ lives.
“I believe in proactive lawmaking. I believe Nigeria must move from reactive governance to proactive governance. I believe our laws must be evidence-based, efficiently implemented, effectively monitored, periodically reviewed, and ultimately measured by their impact on citizens,” he said.
Bamidele also described the separation of powers as a system that should encourage cooperation among the arms of government rather than hostility.
He said the National Assembly’s legislative priorities were guided by the need to improve Nigerians’ welfare rather than simply measure performance by the number of bills passed.
Citing the Student Loan (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024, he said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund had disbursed more than N204 billion to applicants across 89 colleges, 108 polytechnics and 126 universities.
He also highlighted the National Social Investment Programmes Act, 2023, which provides statutory backing and accountability for social protection programmes.
Other legislation he listed included the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024; Tax Reform Acts, 2025; Investments and Securities Act, 2025; Electoral Act, 2026; Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act, 2024; and the Regional Development Commissions Acts.
The Senate Leader also called for responsible social media use, warning against misinformation, character assassination and attacks on public institutions.
He said he had personally experienced some of the activities and noted that many Nigerians had also been victims.
Bamidele challenged major media organisations, including the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, Nigerian Guild of Editors and Nigeria Union of Journalists, to address the growing spread of misinformation.
He, however, reaffirmed his commitment to press freedom, an open parliament and continued engagement with journalists, urging media organisations to promote responsible information sharing.
Bamidele dedicated the award to President Tinubu, his fellow senators, his constituents and God, describing it as recognition of collective responsibility rather than a personal achievement.
He was accompanied to the ceremony by several serving and former political office holders, including former Ogun State governors Olusegun Osoba and Gbenga Daniel, as well as Senators Adetokunbo Abiru, Patrick Ndubueze and Francis Onyewuchi.