The House of Representatives has rescinded the passage of its Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish State Police Services, opting instead to consider an Executive Bill transmitted by President Bola Tinubu to create a unified constitutional framework for state policing.
The decision, taken on Tuesday, followed the presentation of the President’s Executive Bill to the National Assembly, prompting lawmakers to abandon parallel legislative processes on the proposed constitutional amendment.
The House had earlier passed its version of the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill on June 11, 2026, and on July 9 constituted a 12-member Conference Committee to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the legislation.
However, lawmakers resolved that the Executive Bill introduced fresh proposals on the structure, operational framework and implementation of State Police Services, making it necessary to consolidate legislative efforts into a single constitutional amendment 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 resolution on the State Police Bill and dissolve the Conference Committee constituted to harmonise the previous versions.
Consequently, the House dissolved the committee and formally withdrew its earlier version of the bill, clearing the way for the consideration of the Executive proposal.
President Tinubu’s legislation, titled the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2026 (HB. 2797), was presented for First Reading and subsequently passed Second Reading after a debate led by the House Leader, Rt. Hon. Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo).
The bill has now been referred to the House Committee on Constitution Review for further legislative consideration.
The House clarified that rescinding its earlier bill should not be interpreted as a retreat from its support for the establishment of State Police Services.
Rather, lawmakers said the move reflects a commitment to working with the Executive to develop a comprehensive and coherent constitutional framework capable of addressing Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
The House also reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing constitutional reforms through a transparent legislative process aimed at strengthening democratic institutions and enhancing the country’s governance and security architecture.
