By David Oluwatosin
The Osun State House of Assembly has given unanimous backing to the proposed constitutional amendment for the establishment of State Police Services, becoming the first state legislature to approve the bill since its transmission by the National Assembly.
The development marks the beginning of the state-legislature stage of the constitutional amendment process, with other state Houses of Assembly expected to consider the proposal.
The National Assembly transmitted the State Police Services Bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval.
At its plenary on Tuesday, the Osun Assembly considered the proposal and unanimously endorsed it following deliberations by lawmakers.
Speaker Adewale Egbedun read a letter from the National Assembly requesting state legislatures to consider and approve the proposed constitutional amendment.
Lawmakers including Lawrence Adeoti, Taofeek Olayiwola, Adewumi Adeyemi and Jeremiah Awoyeye supported the proposal, arguing that State Police Services would strengthen security at the state and local government levels and improve the ability of authorities to respond to security challenges within their jurisdictions.
The Majority Leader, Babajide Kofoworola, subsequently moved the motion for the House to support the amendment, while Tajudeen Adeyemi seconded it.
The Osun approval came as the National Assembly clarified that the State Police Services Bill is the only constitutional alteration proposal so far transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
In a statement signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, the legislature said reports suggesting that the entire package of proposed constitutional amendments had been sent to the states were incorrect.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is only this particular Constitution Alteration Bill that has so far been transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly,” Ogunlana said.
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According to the National Assembly, the State Police Bill was prioritised because of widespread public concerns over security and policing in the country.
It said other constitutional alteration bills would only be transmitted to the state legislatures after they had been passed in identical form by both chambers of the National Assembly.
The State Police proposal now faces the wider state-legislature approval stage required under the constitutional amendment process.
At least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly — 24 legislatures — must approve a constitutional alteration before the process can proceed to the next stage.
The National Assembly has urged state legislatures to consider the bill and communicate their resolutions after completing their deliberations. It has also indicated a 30-day administrative timeframe for responses, while clarifying that the period is not a constitutional deadline.
The National Assembly said the process would continue after receiving the resolutions of the state Houses of Assembly.
The Osun Assembly also considered the Osun State Park Management System Bill, 2026, during Tuesday’s sitting, with the House dissolving into the Committee of the Whole to consider and adopt proposed amendments and corrections to the bill.
