PORT HARCOURT — The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, has formally endorsed the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, becoming one of the first state legislatures to give concurrence to the National Assembly’s proposal to establish state policing structures across Nigeria.
The lawmakers passed the resolution during plenary in Port Harcourt on Monday, September 28, 2026, following the receipt of the official transmission from the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana.
The transmission—forwarded on September 16, 2026—opened the mandatory constitutional concurrence stage under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires approval from at least two-thirds (24 out of 36) of the State Houses of Assembly before the bill can be submitted for presidential assent.
Key Details of the Resolution and Debate
During the legislative deliberations, lawmakers across political lines backed the bill, describing the establishment of a dual policing model—comprising both federal and state police services—as a long-overdue mechanism to tackle localized insecurity, cultism, and oil pipeline vandalism across the Niger Delta region.
Highlights from the House’s proceedings include:
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Unanimous Legislative Support: The Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill’s clauses, agreeing that regional command structures closer to rural communities will enhance intelligence gathering and swift response times.
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Safeguards Against Abuse: Debating the operational framework, the lawmakers emphasized the necessity of statutory checks to prevent state governors or political caucuses from converting state police commands into partisan instruments during election cycles.
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Federal-State Interface: The bill provides clear operational guidelines, allowing for temporary federal oversight or presidential intervention under strict, constitutionally defined emergency conditions.
