The Senate has assured Nigerians that work on harmonising the State Police Bill will continue throughout the National Assembly’s annual recess, with legislative committees expected to accelerate the process ahead of lawmakers’ return in September.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, said the recess would not disrupt efforts to reconcile differences between the versions of the bill passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The proposed constitutional amendment, which seeks to establish state police, has attracted widespread support from governors, state legislatures and other stakeholders, and is regarded as one of Nigeria’s most significant security reform initiatives.
Although plenary sessions have been suspended until 14 September, Adaramodu said committee activities would continue, allowing lawmakers to carry out legislative and oversight responsibilities during the break.
He explained that emergency committee assignments, including work on the State Police Bill, would proceed even while the National Assembly was not sitting in plenary.
According to the Senate spokesman, the harmonisation exercise is being handled by the Constitution Review Committee chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, as the proposal involves an amendment to the Constitution.
Adaramodu expressed confidence that the reconciliation process would be completed before lawmakers resume, noting that the State Police Bill had been separated from other constitutional amendment proposals because of its urgency and broad public support.
He said addressing the measure independently would help avoid delays that could arise if it were considered alongside numerous other constitutional amendments requiring extensive debate and public hearings.
The lawmaker also disclosed that consultations had already been held with the Speakers of all 36 state Houses of Assembly, whose approval will be required before the constitutional amendment can take effect.
He added that the state legislatures had expressed their readiness to consider the proposal promptly, while the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had also indicated support for the initiative.
Adaramodu said the positive response from both governors and state assemblies could enable the amendment process to be concluded within a relatively short period once the harmonised bill is transmitted to the states.
His comments came a day after the Presidency announced that President Bola Tinubu is expected to receive the draft Executive National Policing Bill on 3 September as part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s policing system.
Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed that the executive proposal is being developed under a seven-week programme scheduled to conclude in mid-September.
He also announced the launch of a public information portal through which Nigerians can submit memoranda and recommendations to inform the legislation before it is forwarded to the National Assembly.
Gbajabiamila clarified that the Executive National Policing Bill is separate from the constitutional amendment on state police already approved by both chambers of the National Assembly.
According to him, while the constitutional amendment provides the legal basis for creating state police, the executive legislation will establish the operational framework required to implement the new policing structure if it is eventually enacted.
