The House of Representatives has stepped down its independent legislative draft on internal security architecture to fully accommodate and prioritize the fresh constitutional amendment bill transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The strategic pivot is intended to ensure a unified, cohesive approach between the executive and legislative arms as Nigeria edges closer to establishing state police forces.
The executive bill, which has already cleared critical legislative stages in the Senate, seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to transition Nigeria from a centralized system to a dual policing structure. This legal framework will grant individual states the authority to establish and operate local police services alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force.
Legislative leaders confirmed that withdrawing the house’s original bill prevents unnecessary legal redundancies and guarantees that the final legislation incorporates critical structural safeguards proposed by the Presidency. While the previous draft laid vital groundwork, the newly transmitted executive version features comprehensive parameters regarding minimum policing standards, federal-state operational coordination, and human rights oversight mechanisms.
Supporters of the harmonized push argue that community-rooted policing is long overdue to effectively counter local security threats, optimize intelligence gathering, and substantially scale up manpower across the federation. However, lawmakers have emphasized that the upcoming constitutional review sessions will heavily scrutinize accountability metrics to address long-standing public concerns over the potential misuse of state security forces by regional political actors.
As a constitutional amendment, the executive proposal requires a robust two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of the National Assembly. Once approved centrally, the bill will be transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly, where it must secure ratification from at least 24 state legislatures before receiving presidential assent.
Ayodele Quadri
Correspondent
