The House of Representatives has explained why it rescinded its earlier constitutional amendment bill on state police, saying the decision was taken to allow lawmakers consider President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Bill and establish a unified legal framework for the proposed policing system.
The Green Chamber stressed that the move does not signal a reversal of its support for state police but is intended to harmonise the legislative process with the President’s security reform proposal.
House spokesman, Akin Rotimi, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to Rotimi, the House had already passed its version of the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill on June 11, 2026, and on July 9 constituted a 12-member Conference Committee to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the legislation.
He, however, said the submission of President Tinubu’s Executive Bill introduced fresh considerations that required lawmakers to adopt a different legislative approach.
“Following the transmission of the Executive Bill, the House determined that new considerations relating to the structure, framework, and implementation of State Police Services necessitated an efficient legislative approach to ensure a coherent constitutional framework consistent with Nigeria’s evolving national security architecture,” the statement said.
Rotimi explained that the House subsequently adopted a motion sponsored by the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Francis Waive, rescinding its earlier resolution and dissolving the Conference Committee to pave the way for consideration of the President’s proposal.
He said the Executive Bill, titled Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2026 (HB. 2797), successfully passed first and second readings on Tuesday after being presented by the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere.
The proposed legislation has since been referred to the House Committee on Constitution Review for further legislative action.
Rotimi maintained that the House remains fully committed to the establishment of state police, insisting that the latest decision was purely procedural.
“The House emphasised that its decision should not be construed as a withdrawal of legislative support for State Police. Rather, it reflects the resolve of the House, working in concert with the Executive, to ensure that the constitutional framework establishing State Police Services is comprehensive, effective, and responsive to Nigeria’s evolving security realities,” he said.
He added that the House would continue to pursue constitutional reforms through what he described as “a transparent and rigorous legislative process that strengthens Nigeria’s democratic institutions and responds effectively to the nation’s evolving governance and security needs.”
President Tinubu had earlier transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2026 to the National Assembly, urging lawmakers to fast-track its consideration as a critical component of his administration’s security reform agenda.
The President, in a letter addressed to Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, appealed to the House to give the proposal expedited legislative attention to accelerate efforts aimed at addressing Nigeria’s growing security challenges.
