By Ahmed Akanbi

The Senate has pushed back on critics of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, insisting the law is “a child of necessity, not political expediency; a product of national consensus, not cynicism.”

Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, said this in a statement on Sunday by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, arguing that the Bill tackles an urgent security crisis and should not be held hostage to partisan debates.

Bamidele said the push for state police is not new, explaining that the proposal came through memoranda to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution and went through extensive, multi-tier consultations across the country.

“Despite some dissenting views, observations have shown that Nigerians largely welcome the Bill with the conviction that it will significantly de-escalate security conditions at the subnational level,” he stated.

The Senate Leader said the National Assembly engaged the Executive, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, and the Nigeria Police leadership.

“In July 2025, public hearings were held in all six geo-political zones. Participants overwhelmingly approved it. At each level of consultation, nearly all stakeholders embraced the State Police Bill in light of the stark realities we face today,” Bamidele said.

He disclosed that the Nigeria Police gave key input, including accountability and oversight safeguards to prevent political abuse, adding that “their resolve to support the Bill highlights its strategic national significance to deal with insecurity at local and state levels.“

“Even though the APC is the majority, members of opposition parties — PDP, ADC, NDC and Labour Party — exercised their discretion in favour of the Bill, mainly in the national interest and not on parochial grounds.

“In the Senate, 84 out of 109 members voted clause-by-clause in support of the Bill. That is 77.06% approval at the Senate alone,” Bamidele said.

Bamidele argued that security is a public good that transcends ethnicity, politics and religion. “Political actors elsewhere throw off their togas of partisanship to support initiatives that will reinforce national security,” he said.

He challenged opposition parties to bring credible ideas to the table. “Even when they disagree, they are under obligation to provide useful ideas that can make our nation better. Unfortunately, they have not passed this critical test of opposition democracy.”