Senate gives six assemblies 15 November deadline on state police

The Senate has given six state Houses of Assembly until 15 November to communicate their positions on the constitutional amendment proposing state police.

A statement from the Senate President’s information office, published on Wednesday, said senators unanimously backed the additional time after an update from Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele.

Any assembly that fails to respond by the deadline will be regarded as withholding approval, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said.

Bamidele told the chamber that 30 of the 36 state assemblies had approved the proposal, above the minimum of 24 needed for a constitutional amendment.

That figure differs from the 28 approvals the National Assembly clerk said his office had verified in a Tuesday statement. Wednesday’s statement did not explain the difference.

The amendment would allow states to establish police services. Akpabio said the remaining assemblies should have an opportunity to take part in the constitutional process before transmission to the president.

Presidential assent is the final stage described by Bamidele. The statement did not announce that President Bola Tinubu had signed the amendment.

Sources: Senate President’s information office; Punch; Earlier NaijaTrend report