Nigeria moved a step closer to a total overhaul of its internal security architecture yesterday. The Senate passed a landmark constitutional amendment to establish state police forces.

The breakthrough effectively ends decades of fierce national debate. It chips away at the Federal Government`s exclusive control over policing to combat rampant insecurity.

Power to the Governors

The Constitution Alteration Bill introduces a concurrent policing framework. The federal police will continue to operate under the Inspector-General of Police. However, individual states can now run their own parallel commands.

The most sweeping change rests in the appointment of leadership: State governors receive explicit powers to appoint their own Commissioners of Police (CPs). All gubernatorial appointments require formal confirmation from the respective State Houses of Assembly. Governors can issue lawful written directives of a general policy nature to CPs regarding public safety.

The Safeguards Against Tyranny

To douse long-standing fears that governors might weaponize local forces against political rivals, lawmakers inserted strict human rights shields under Clause 17(7).

The law explicitly bans CPs from arresting, detaining, investigating, or using force against any individual, group, or political party simply for criticizing the government. All police actions must strictly align with due process and existing legislation.

Drama Over Digital Voting

The historic session was not without procedural drama. Barely an hour before the vote, the Senate abruptly abandoned its electronic voting system.

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, moved a motion to switch to manual voting after technical glitches hit several digital devices. Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, sustained the motion, arguing that open, individual voice votes guaranteed absolute transparency.

The tension-soaked floor was watched closely by top political figures, including: Femi Gbajabiamila (Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu),Senator Uba Sani (Governor of Kaduna State),Prince Dapo Abiodun (Governor of Ogun State),Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Governor of Ondo State)

Following a rigorous, clause-by-clause evaluation, more than two-thirds of the senators openly voted in favor of the decentralization bill.

The Next Hurdle

While the Senate`s approval marks a massive victory for advocates of restructuring, the bill is not yet law.

As a constitutional amendment, it must now secure matching approval from the House of Representatives. It then requires endorsement from at least 24 (two-thirds) of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before landing on the President’s desk for assent.

If successful, this will stand as the most consequential legislative reform engineered by the 10th National Assembly.