The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has declared that the proposed state policing system will remain ineffective unless absolute federal control is stripped away.

Speaking during Tuesday`s plenary, Obasa argued that any constitutional clause retaining federal supremacy over state law enforcement directly undermines the core objectives of the reform. While acknowledging that decentralising Nigeria’s security framework is a step in the right direction, he insisted that true federalism dictates that states must possess total autonomy over their internal security management.

The Speaker raised these concerns as the Lagos State House of Assembly formally endorsed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026. The bill was transmitted to state houses for ratification by the Clerk of the National Assembly under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution.

Faulting the operational framework of the proposed amendment, Obasa warned that the current draft still concentrates excessive power at the center and fails to resolve critical questions of command and control.

"Even though we are happy that we are having state police, our interests and positions have not been well taken care of in this alteration. You would realise that the major control still lies at the centre," Obasa stated.

He specifically pointed to clauses that automatically favor federal legislation over state laws in times of conflict. "There is a provision that says where there is a conflict between the State Assembly and National Assembly, the federal prevails. But it is still a step forward. I want to believe that there is hope in the future that will give total control to the state," the Speaker added.