Precious Nwonu, Enugu
The National Assembly has clarified that only the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police Services has so far been transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
The clarification followed reports suggesting that the various Constitution Alteration Bills currently before the National Assembly had already been forwarded to the state legislatures for consideration.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, said the State Police Bill remained the only constitutional amendment proposal transmitted to the states.
The statement was titled, “National Assembly Clarifies Transmission of Constitution Alteration Bill to State Houses of Assembly.”
Ogunlana recalled that the National Assembly announced on September 16, 2026, that it had transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the state legislatures.
The bill, titled, “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for the Establishment of State Police Services; and for Related Matters,” seeks to provide a constitutional framework for the establishment of state police.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is only this particular Constitution Alteration Bill that has so far been transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly,” Ogunlana said.
He added, “It is therefore incorrect to suggest or create the impression that all the Constitution Alteration Bills before the National Assembly have been transmitted to the States.”
According to the Clerk, the decision to prioritise the State Police Bill was influenced by public demands for changes to the country’s policing system amid persistent security concerns.
He explained that the other proposed constitutional amendments would only be forwarded to the state legislatures after both chambers of the National Assembly had passed them in identical form.
“The other Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bills before the National Assembly will be transmitted to the Houses of Assembly of the 36 States of the Federation upon their passage in identical form by both Chambers of the National Assembly, in accordance with the constitutional amendment process,” the statement said.
The clarification comes as lawmakers continue to consider several proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution covering policing and other aspects of Nigeria’s governance structure.
The National Assembly said the constitutional amendment process would be conducted transparently and in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
It also urged members of the public and the media to rely on official statements from the National Assembly when reporting on the status of the various Constitution Alteration Bills and their transmission to the states.