The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill on Tuesday said it had submitted the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.
This comes as Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara and Adamawa state assemblies approved the police bill alongside Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara, which had earlier endorsed the constitutional amendments required to institute state policing.
The proposed Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, was transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026 by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, for consideration and approval.
The Sixth Alteration Bill amends section 214 of the Constitution to replace the single Nigeria Police Force with a Federal Police Service and State Police Services as part of efforts to address the country’s security challenges.
In a statement signed Tuesday by the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, the group said it had completed the drafting stage of its assignment.
The PWG explained that the draft bill was submitted to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on Monday.
It said, “The submission was made on October 19, 2026, to the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, in line with the Working Group’s work plan.
“The ministry’s review will ensure that the bills conform to legislative drafting standards and conventions, and that they do not conflict with existing laws.
“The Ministry of Justice is expected to return the validated draft bills to the Working Group on or before Friday, 30th October 2026. The Working Group will then give the validated bills final consideration before presenting them to Mr President, thereby concluding its mandate.”
Gbajabiamila said the proposed National Policing Bill seeks to establish the constitutional and legislative framework for a dual policing structure, made up of a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
He added that the Working Group remained committed to “a rigorous and transparent process” that would deliver a comprehensive legislative proposal for the President’s consideration and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.
According to the former legislator, the work was proceeding alongside the ongoing consideration of the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 by the State Houses of Assembly, which “must be completed before the Bill is transmitted to the National Assembly”.
On October 15, Gbajabiamila told State House correspondents that the policing bill was “90 per cent ready” and would be transmitted to the National Assembly on October 29.
The Senate passed the bill on June 24, after which it was also passed by the House of Representatives.
Afterwards, the National Assembly sent it to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, where it must be approved by at least 24 state assemblies.
Tinubu inaugurated the seven-member Presidential Working Group on July 7, with its steering committee starting work on August 3.
He mandated it to produce a “technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill.’’
When asked how long the review by the justice ministry would take, Kamarudeen Ogundele, the Special Assistant, Media, to the AGF, said, “Is there any rule that says that it must be done within one week, two months, three months or four months? When did we start having periods within which a case should be treated and sent for approval?
‘’I am not in the position to confirm that now. This thing has a procedure; it has a process, and due process must be followed. So, now saying that maybe it has to be done within one week or two weeks or whatever, where no law says it must be done within that period or whatever, is unnecessary,” he added.
The Senate also declined to comment on the Executive’s proposed timeline, saying it would wait until it formally receives the bills before taking a position.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH.
“Well, we cannot pass comment on what the Executive said until we receive correspondence from them,” he said.
Adaramodu, however, described the proposed legislation as a matter of public interest that lawmakers were determined to conclude expeditiously.
The Senate spokesman dismissed concerns over delays by state assemblies in approving the constitutional amendment, despite the expiration of the 30-day deadline set for them to submit their inputs.
He explained that the deadline was intended for state legislatures to communicate their positions, adding that the Senate would consider their responses alongside the executive’s proposals.
“All those things (state approvals) will be brought to us, and we will put them under consideration because we are still going to hold a conference to address it.
“Again, you need to understand that the 30-day deadline is not for us. It is for the states to send in their inputs. And they have been doing that,” he said.
Adaramodu expressed confidence that all states would have submitted their responses by the time the executive formally transmitted its proposals. He maintained that the process would not undermine the Senate’s commitment to passing the legislation before the end of the year.
