The House of Representatives has rescinded its earlier passage of a Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish State Police Services, opting instead to consider an Executive Bill on the subject transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The decision followed the presentation of the President’s Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2026 (HB. 2797), which the House said provides a fresh framework for creating state police in line with the country’s evolving security needs.
The House had passed its own version of the constitutional amendment on June 11, 2026, and on July 9 constituted a 12-member conference committee to reconcile differences between its version and that passed by the Senate.
However, lawmakers resolved to withdraw the earlier bill after receiving the Executive proposal, saying the new legislation introduced additional considerations on the structure, framework and implementation of state police that required a unified legislative process.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Francis Waive (APC, Delta), seeking to rescind the earlier constitutional amendment bill and dissolve the conference committee constituted to harmonise the two versions.
With the resolution, the House formally dissolved the conference committee, clearing the way for consideration of the Executive Bill and avoiding parallel constitutional amendment processes on the same subject.
The Executive Bill received its First Reading and was subsequently passed for Second Reading after debate led by the House Leader, Rt. Hon. Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo). It was thereafter referred to the House Committee on Constitution Review for further legislative consideration.
The House stressed that the decision does not signal a retreat from its support for the establishment of state police. Rather, lawmakers said it reflects a commitment to working with the Executive to produce a comprehensive constitutional framework capable of addressing Nigeria’s changing security challenges.
The House also reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing constitutional reforms through what it described as a transparent and rigorous legislative process aimed at strengthening democratic institutions and improving governance and security across the country.