The proposed establishment of state police is facing a major test as only four state Houses of Assembly have so far approved the constitutional amendment needed to make the reform possible.
Edo, Osun, Oyo and Rivers are the only states confirmed to have given their concurrence to the proposal, according to checks across the country.
The development comes barely three weeks after the National Assembly transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
Politics Nigeria gathered that the bill was transmitted on September 16 for consideration and approval by the state legislatures.
The National Assembly had set a 30-day administrative timeframe for the assemblies to communicate their decisions.
However, the Constitution does not prescribe 30 days as a mandatory deadline for the states.
The major hurdle is the constitutional requirement for at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly to approve the proposed alteration.
With only four states having so far approved the bill, another 20 state legislatures must still back the proposal before the constitutional threshold can be reached.
The slow pace has therefore raised fresh questions over whether the reform can secure the required number of state approvals within the period being targeted by the National Assembly.
The National Assembly had earlier clarified that the State Police Services Bill was the only constitutional alteration bill transmitted to the 36 state assemblies at this stage.
It said the decision to prioritise the bill followed widespread concerns over insecurity and the need to provide a constitutional framework for decentralised policing.
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