The Senate has defended the passage of the state police bill, insisting that the legislation was driven by national security concerns and broad stakeholder consensus rather than political considerations.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, made the clarification in a statement issued on Sunday through his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs.
The clarification is coming amid reactions trailing the National Assembly’s approval of the constitutional amendment that birthed the state police bill.
Bamidele described the proposed establishment of state police as “a child of necessity” and “a product of national consensus, not cynicism,” stressing that worsening insecurity across the country made the reform an urgent national priority that could not be delayed because of political interests or ambitions.
He explained that the proposal did not emerge recently but formed part of the memoranda submitted to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, the recommendation underwent extensive consultations and rigorous legislative scrutiny because of its sensitive nature.
The Senate leader said the National Assembly engaged key stakeholders, including the Executive, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures and the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force, in shaping the bill.
He added that public hearings conducted across the six geo-political zones in July 2025 recorded overwhelming support for the creation of state police, with participants backing the initiative as a practical response to Nigeria’s growing security challenges.
Bamidele noted that recommendations from the Nigeria Police helped lawmakers strengthen accountability and oversight provisions in the bill to guard against possible abuse of state police by political actors.
According to him, the support of the police leadership underscored the strategic importance of the legislation in tackling insecurity at state and local government levels.
He further disclosed that the bill was subjected to intense debate in both chambers of the National Assembly before its passage, adding that lawmakers across party lines supported the measure.
Although the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) holds the majority in the National Assembly, Bamidele said members of opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and the Labour Party, voted in favour of the bill in the national interest.
He revealed that 84 of the Senate’s 109 members voted clause-by-clause in support of the legislation, representing 77.06 percent approval.
Bamidele argued that security remains a collective public good that transcends ethnic, religious and political divides, urging opposition parties to contribute constructive ideas that would strengthen peace and stability across the country.
He expressed disappointment that, despite opposing some government policies, opposition leaders had yet to offer what he described as credible alternatives capable of advancing national security and democratic governance.
(The Whistler)