Senate Sets November 15 Deadline for State Police Approval

The Senate has mandated six state Houses of Assembly (Abia, Benue, Cross River, Kano, Niger, and Oyo) to formally communicate their positions on the proposed establishment of state police by November 15. This decision was announced by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) during plenary, noting that 30 out of 36 state assemblies have already approved the constitutional amendment, surpassing the required two-thirds majority.

The Senate clarified that the delay in responses from the six states may be due to the transmission of resolutions rather than outright rejection. Reports indicate that five of these states have passed the proposal, but their resolutions have not yet reached the National Assembly, with Niger being the exception.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin (Kano North) confirmed that Kano's assembly has approved the proposal and is in the process of transmitting its resolution. Senate President Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North) emphasized the need for a definitive timeframe for the remaining assemblies to communicate their decisions, leading to the unanimous endorsement of the November 15 deadline.