State Police Bill: Bamidele Set to Transmit Bill to Tinubu for Assent

The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has received the prestigious ‘The Sun Senator of the Year’ Award in recognition of his efficient management of parliamentary affairs and proactive approach to lawmaking, which have guided the activities of the Senate since its inauguration in June 2023.

However, Bamidele noted that the award was not a personal achievement or trophy but a validation of collective responsibility.

He consequently dedicated the honour to Almighty God, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the 108 other senators and his constituents, who entrusted him with their mandates.

Bamidele received the award on Friday night from the Founder of The Sun Publishing Limited and Chairman of the South East Development Commission, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. Several serving senators, serving and former governors, as well as his political associates from Ekiti and Lagos States, accompanied the award presentation.

Among those who accompanied him to receive the honour were former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; his predecessor and Chairman, Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Gbenga Daniel; Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru; Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Patrick Ndubueze; and Chairman, Senate Committee on the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Senator Francis Onyewuchi.

While expressing appreciation to The Sun Publishing Limited for the prestigious recognition, Bamidele reiterated the need to assess the National Assembly not by the number of bills passed into law but by the impact of its initiatives on the lives of Nigerians.

He said: “I believe in proactive lawmaking. I believe Nigeria must move from reactive governance to proactive governance. I believe our laws must be evidence-based, efficiently implemented, effectively monitored, periodically reviewed, and ultimately measured by their impact on citizens.

“I believe that separation of powers is not about hostility, but synergy; not grandstanding, but collaboration; not dissension, but interdependence among the arms of government. I have served most dutifully in the Senate with independence, but at the same time with constructive engagement with other arms because our collective responsibility is national development, peace, and security.”

Bamidele explained that the principle of proactive lawmaking informed the National Assembly’s decision to pass the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, which proposes the establishment of a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.

He further stated that the creation of state police services had moved from rhetoric to reality after more than 15 years of unsuccessful attempts to reform the country’s police system.

According to records of the National Assembly, Bamidele disclosed that no fewer than 32 State Houses of Assembly had approved the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, 2026.
He said: “With this, we have successfully crossed the constitutional threshold under Section 9(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

“We are now expecting four State Houses of Assembly to turn in their reports on or before the National Assembly reconvenes on November 17, 2026. This suggests that next week is going to be decisive and defining in the National Assembly. Whether the remaining states turn in their reports or not, we must move forward and fulfil the aspiration of our people.

“We are now under obligation to transmit the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, 2026 to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for assent.

This is a responsibility we must consciously discharge on behalf of our constituents and in the interest of national peace, progress, and stability,” he explained.
Addressing concerns raised by critics of the State Police Bill, Bamidele clarified that the initiative was not intended to establish ethnic or state armies but to create state-led, community-anchored policing structures within clearly defined constitutional safeguards.

He added that, as the parliament of the people, the National Assembly had consciously and conscientiously pursued people-centred legislation with direct implications for the welfare of citizens.

The Senate Leader highlighted the role of the National Assembly in championing the Student Loan (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024, which replaced a restrictive system with an inclusive, technology-driven and interest-free loan scheme.

Through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), he disclosed that more than ₦204 billion had been disbursed to applicants across 89 colleges, 108 polytechnics and 126 universities nationwide. He noted that the initiative had significantly reduced the rate of dropouts in tertiary institutions.
Bamidele further explained:

“We also championed the National Social Investment Programmes Act, 2023, which gave statutory backing, coordination, and accountability to our social protection system, for poverty reduction, economic inclusion, and social welfare for vulnerable Nigerians.

“With the utmost sense of responsibility, we passed the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024; Tax Reform Acts, 2025; Investments and Securities Act, 2025; Electoral Act, 2026; Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act, 2024; and Regional Development Commissions Acts, among others. Each of these laws has transformed our economy, strengthened public finance, and deepened electoral credibility,” Bamidele said while highlighting the achievements of the parliament.

While appreciating the media for its role as a formidable partner in strengthening the country’s democracy, Bamidele reaffirmed his commitment to press freedom, an open parliament and continuous engagement with journalists.

However, he stressed the need for collective efforts to promote responsible use of social media.
He raised fundamental questions about the damaging activities of some individuals on social media, noting:
“We have seen characters assassinated.

We have seen public institutions blackmailed. We have watched people deliberately distort facts. We have seen people unjustifiably peddling lies. We cannot fold our hands and allow this illegality to continue.

“I have been a victim of these outlawed activities at different times. I know many Nigerians have been victims as well. But the urgent questions are: Should we leave unregulated the space that will define our lives unregulated in the decades to come? Or do we prefer a space where characters are assassinated daily, lies peddled, and public institutions unjustifiably discredited?

“These are questions that key media actors – Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, Nigerian Guild of Editors, and Nigeria Union of Journalists – must honestly answer in this age of information technology.

Otherwise, we must all brace up for the consequences of our inability to act at the time that matters most.

“We all know that information is critical to our national development as much as to our internal stability. Obviously, this suggests that the way we disseminate information, whether through the traditional or social media, must be well guided by international best practices.

“This further suggests that information must be disseminated objectively and responsibly with the intention to inform and not disinform; build and not destroy; develop and not blackmail.”

Directorate of Media & Public Affairs,
Office of the Leader of the Senate,
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
15th November 2026.