The House of Representatives has commenced a clause-by-clause consideration of President Bola Tinubu’s executive bill seeking to establish state police, with lawmakers indicating they may adopt the version already passed by the Senate with only minor amendments.
Speaking at the meeting of the House Committee on Constitution Review in Abuja on Monday, the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Benjamin Kalu, said the House would build on the Senate’s work to speed up the passage of what he described as a key constitutional amendment aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security framework.
Kalu recalled that the House had passed its own Constitution Alteration Bill on State Police on June 11 before proceeding on recess. However, lawmakers reversed that decision on July 14 after President Tinubu transmitted an executive bill on the same subject for consideration.
“You may recall that on June 11, before the recess, the House considered and passed the Police Constitution Alteration Bill. However, following the introduction of an executive bill by the president, that decision was reversed by the House on July 14 to enable consideration of the executive bill coming from the commander-in-chief of the armed forces,” he said.
According to him, the president, as commander-in-chief, is best placed to initiate comprehensive security reforms capable of addressing Nigeria’s growing security challenges.
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Kalu further noted that the executive bill had already passed first and second readings in the House, while the extensive consultations held during the National Assembly Open Week satisfied the public hearing requirement for the proposed legislation.
“The bill has been referred to this committee, and the committee is not just the deputy speaker and the deputy chairman. The committee are you and I. Our responsibility is to carefully scrutinise this legislation and ensure that it reflects the aspirations and expectations of the Nigerian people,” he said.
Tinubu’s Long-standing Position
The Deputy Speaker described the proposed state police legislation as one of President Tinubu’s signature constitutional reform initiatives, noting that the president had consistently advocated a multi-layered policing system since his tenure as governor of Lagos State.
“I must emphasise that the state police bill remains one of the signature constitutional reform initiatives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As governor of Lagos State, he was among the earliest advocates of multi-layered policing as a strategic solution to Nigeria’s security challenges. Today, as president, he is championing the same cause, demonstrating consistency between his convictions and his actions,” Kalu said.
He added that although the executive, legislature and judiciary operate as separate arms of government, they share the responsibility of advancing national priorities, particularly efforts to improve security across the country.
Kalu explained that lawmakers met on Monday, outside the House’s regular Tuesday sitting schedule, because of the urgency attached to the bill.
“We are here today not because it is convenient for us. Our parliamentary week ordinarily begins on Tuesday, but duty calls, and time is of the essence.
“We are joining hands with the executive to ensure that this collaborative effort results in the successful passage of this priority constitutional amendment,” he said.
Senate Version to Guide Deliberations
Kalu disclosed that both chambers of the National Assembly were working together to harmonise their efforts and fast-track the constitutional amendment process.
He expressed confidence that the bill would be transmitted to the president for assent once legislative work was completed.
He said the committee would use the Senate-approved version of the executive bill as its working document during the clause-by-clause consideration.
“The purpose of today’s meeting is to consider the executive bill clause by clause and make appropriate recommendations to the House. We must note that the Senate has already considered and adopted the bill with certain amendments, and copies of that version have been circulated to members. This document will serve as our working draft throughout this exercise,” he said.
According to Kalu, the executive bill is largely similar to the version earlier considered by the House, with only a few additions.
He said the new provisions include Section 31 on interpretation, transitional and saving clauses to facilitate the implementation of the proposed state police framework, alongside other consequential amendments.
He added that the Senate introduced about eight minor amendments, which the House committee would review and adopt where necessary.
“As we proceed with this amendment process, we shall take into consideration the work already done by the Senate and adopt it where applicable,” he said.
The clause-by-clause review marks another milestone in the ongoing constitutional amendment process aimed at creating a constitutionally recognised multi-tier policing system to strengthen internal security across Nigeria.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.