THE Senate on Wednesday passed the landmark Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish state police across the federation, marking a major step in Nigeria’s decades-long debate over decentralising the country’s policing structure to address worsening insecurity.
News Point Nigeria reports that the passage followed a rigorous clause-by-clause consideration of the bill and came after more than two-thirds of senators voted in support through a manual voting process conducted on the floor of the chamber, after the Senate had earlier adopted manual voting due to concerns that faulty electronic voting devices could disenfranchise lawmakers.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the passage of the legislation after lawmakers overwhelmingly backed the proposal during plenary, following consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution presented by Deputy Senate President and committee chairman, Barau Jibrin.
The bill’s provisions were first considered at the Committee of the Whole before lawmakers adopted them and proceeded to a final vote, with debate led by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who urged senators to support what many lawmakers described as a critical reform aimed at strengthening internal security and improving response to local threats.
The exercise marked a significant stage in the legislative process aimed at decentralising policing and addressing growing concerns over insecurity in various parts of the country, with several prominent government officials present in the Senate chamber to observe the proceedings, including the Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani; Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun; Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; and the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The constitutional amendment, if approved by the National Assembly and subsequently endorsed by the required number of state Houses of Assembly, would pave the way for the establishment of state-controlled police forces alongside the Nigeria Police Force, amid increasing calls for policing reforms and greater involvement of subnational governments in tackling security challenges across the country.
The Senate had earlier resolved to adopt manual voting for the consideration of the proposed constitutional amendment on state police after concerns emerged that faulty electronic voting devices could disenfranchise some lawmakers. Under the arrangement, senators were required to stand individually, announce their names and openly declare their positions on the proposed state police framework.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who moved the motion for the adoption of manual voting, said the procedure was necessary to guarantee transparency and ensure that no senator was excluded from the process, stating: “There is a need to also ensure transparency both within ourselves as people that will be performing this major constitutional responsibility, as well as members of the public.
“Rather than go by way of electronic voting, which obviously is not the case today, and disenfranchise a few or so of our colleagues whose machines are not working. I am moving that we give every distinguished senator the opportunity to answer his or her father’s name by doing manual voting.”
The motion was seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, with lawmakers stressing that the process would not only prevent disenfranchisement but also make each senator’s position on the contentious issue known to constituents.
Meanwhile, the Senate also reversed an earlier decision and approved the admission of governors and other senior government officials into the chamber to observe deliberations on the state police bill. The request had initially been rejected after a voice vote, in line with Senate rules which ordinarily restrict the chamber floor to senators while visitors observe from the gallery.
The development briefly delayed proceedings as the invited governors and senior officials waited at the entrance of the chamber, before Senate President Godswill Akpabio appealed to lawmakers to reconsider the decision, stressing the importance of allowing key stakeholders to witness the deliberations.
Akpabio noted that any constitutional amendment establishing state police would require approval by state Houses of Assembly, adding that governors should be allowed to follow the debate closely, while also pointing out that the proposal originated from the executive arm of government and that many of the invited guests were executive officials.
Following the appeal, Bamidele moved another motion seeking the suspension of Order 12 of the Senate Rules on floor privileges to admit the visitors as strangers. Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin supported the motion and commended Akpabio’s inclusive leadership style, saying their presence would encourage broader participation in discussions on the proposed state police framework.
The Senate subsequently approved the motion, paving the way for the invited officials to witness the clause-by-clause voting on the constitutional amendment bill.
Those admitted included Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President; Uba Sani, Kaduna State Governor; Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State Governor; and Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Ondo State Governor.