The African Democratic Congress has accused the House of Representatives of violating the Constitution in the passage of the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, demanding that the proposed amendment be recommitted to a fresh, transparent and inclusive legislative process.
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In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said reports that the constitutionally required voting threshold was attained through votes submitted on WhatsApp by absent lawmakers and by counting members who had left the chamber raised serious legal and procedural concerns.
The party said it supported the establishment of state police as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges but could not endorse a process that allegedly undermined the same Constitution the National Assembly sought to amend.
According to accounts attributed to lawmakers who participated in the House proceedings on July 23, 2026, votes sent through WhatsApp by members who were not physically present were recognised, while lawmakers who had signed the attendance register but were absent when voting took place were allegedly included in the count.
“The Constitution is not amended by convenience. It is amended through strict procedures that leave no room for improvisation,” the ADC said.
“Therefore, regardless of the noble intentions behind the amendment, the constitutional process for amendment must not be circumvented.”
The party also alleged that the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill was curtailed and that constitutional objections raised during the proceedings were not properly addressed.
“Constitutional alteration demands openness, robust debate and strict fidelity to both the Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House. This appears not to be the case in respect of this particular amendment,” the statement added.
The ADC maintained that the current version of the State Police Bill had not been subjected to the level of public scrutiny required for a constitutional reform capable of fundamentally reshaping Nigeria’s security architecture.
Although the issue of state police had featured in previous constitutional review exercises, the party said the latest proposal contained significant policy changes that Nigerians had not been given sufficient opportunity to examine through a dedicated public consultation process.
“While the idea of state police has featured in previous constitutional review exercises, this latest effort contains significant policy reforms that Nigerians have not had the opportunity to interrogate through a dedicated public process,” the party said.
The ADC warned that legislation of such national importance must not be driven by political expediency or shielded from rigorous public debate, particularly amid concerns that state-controlled police formations could be used by governors and other political actors to intimidate opponents or discriminate against citizens.
It argued that the objective of the reform should be to produce an effective policing structure capable of reducing insecurity rather than merely creating another institution without adequate constitutional safeguards, accountability mechanisms and protection against abuse.
“Nigeria has witnessed too many major laws and policies that required amendments, reversals or somersaults because they were insufficiently interrogated before passage,” the party stated.
“We cannot afford to make the same mistake with a constitutional amendment that will fundamentally reshape the nation’s security architecture.”
The ADC therefore called on the House of Representatives to recommit the bill to a process that strictly complies with constitutional requirements, allows meaningful public participation and provides lawmakers with sufficient opportunity to debate every provision.
“Nigeria deserves a state police framework that commands public confidence because it has been properly debated, strengthened to guarantee the required outcome and protect against abuse before becoming part of our Constitution,” the party said.
The ADC reiterated that its objection was not to the principle of state policing but to the procedure reportedly adopted in passing the bill, insisting that a reform intended to strengthen constitutional security arrangements must itself emerge from a process that respects the Constitution.
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