National Assembly Confirms 30 States Approved State Police

The National Assembly of Nigeria has announced that 30 out of 36 State Houses of Assembly have approved a proposed amendment to establish State Police, surpassing the required two-thirds majority of 24 states. However, discrepancies in the approval process have surfaced, particularly highlighted by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), who noted that six states, including Benue, Oyo, Cross River, Niger, Abia, and Kano, had not approved the bill.

Abia's government, represented by Chief Press Secretary Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, contested this claim, asserting that the Abia State House of Assembly had indeed passed the bill. In Kano, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau (Kano North) indicated that the Kano Assembly had submitted its response, which was delayed in reaching the National Assembly.

These inconsistencies raise critical questions about communication and verification processes between the federal legislature and state assemblies, emphasizing the need for a reliable verification mechanism for such significant constitutional amendments.