The Senate on Wednesday commenced manual voting on a proposed constitutional amendment seeking the establishment of state police across Nigeria, marking a critical phase in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution.
Lawmakers are voting clause by clause on the bill, which aims to decentralise policing and strengthen efforts to address rising insecurity across the country.
Several top government officials were in attendance to observe the proceedings, including the Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani; Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun; Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; and the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila.
If passed by the National Assembly and subsequently ratified by the required number of state Houses of Assembly, the amendment will pave the way for the creation of state-controlled police forces to operate alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
The Senate adopted manual voting after concerns were raised over faulty electronic voting devices that could prevent some lawmakers from participating in the exercise. Under the arrangement, senators are required to stand individually, state their names, and publicly declare their votes on the proposed state police framework.
Moving the motion, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the manual process would ensure transparency and guarantee that no senator is disenfranchised due to technical issues.
He noted that the procedure would allow every senator to participate fully while making their positions on the bill known to the public.
The motion was seconded by Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro.
Meanwhile, the Senate reversed an earlier decision and approved the admission of governors and other senior government officials into the chamber to observe the debate on the state police bill.
The request had initially been rejected through a voice vote, in line with Senate rules that restrict access to the chamber floor to serving senators, with visitors typically observing proceedings from the gallery.
The decision briefly stalled proceedings as invited governors and officials waited outside the chamber.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio later urged lawmakers to reconsider, stressing that governors and other key stakeholders should be allowed to witness discussions on a proposal that would require approval from state legislatures if passed.
He also pointed out that the state police initiative originated from the executive arm of government, making the presence of senior executive officials appropriate.
Following Akpabio’s appeal, Bamidele moved a fresh motion seeking the suspension of Order 12 of the Senate Rules on floor privileges, allowing the invited officials to be admitted as observers.
