As the constitutional amendment process moves to its crucial next phase — where success rests heavily on State Houses of Assembly — it is necessary to speak plainly about what Nigerians have asked for and why the nation must act.
Section 9 of the Constitution requires a two-stage approval for any amendment: first, a two‑thirds majority of members in each State House of Assembly where the amendment is considered; and second, approval by resolution of not fewer than two‑thirds of all State Houses of Assembly — a minimum of 24 states. Thus, the 36 State Assemblies now sit at the fulcrum of this reform.
The 10th National Assembly, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, has rightly embarked on the constitutional review mandated by Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The Constitution Review Committee under Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu toured the country to hear the people. Its clear message was: the National and State Assemblies are the houses of the people, and this constitutional review must reflect the will and needs of the majority.
Across thousands of memoranda and widespread public hearings — from zonal sessions to technical retreats and consultations with governors, traditional rulers, women’s groups, security agencies, political parties, youth and civil society — a consistent set of demands emerged. Foremost among them was the call for the establishment of state police. That demand was almost always accompanied by a caveat: the institutions that would make state policing effective must themselves be strengthened and protected from abuse.
Citizens and civic groups repeatedly urged that the following constitutional and legislative reforms be bundled together to ensure any state policing model is sustainable and accountable:
Full administrative and financial autonomy for State Houses of Assembly.
Full administrative and financial autonomy for Local Government Councils.
Establishment of special courts to handle terrorism-related offences.
A clear constitutional role for traditional institutions.
These institutions are independent but deeply interdependent. Strengthening them together will provide the live wires needed to tackle both kinetic (armed) and non-kinetic security challenges from their roots. Without concurrent reforms, state policing risks becoming a hollow transfer of responsibilities that neither enhances security nor safeguards citizens’ rights.
During the Northwest (Sokoto–Kebbi–Zamfara) public hearing in Sokoto on 26 July 2025 — which many Sokoto State Assembly members attended — I presented 16 constitutional amendment memoranda, including proposals for state and local government creation, alongside hundreds of submissions from patriotic stakeholders across the zone. Similar interventions were made by stakeholders nationwide. The calls for state police, creation of new states and LGAs, autonomy for legislatures and local governments, judicial reform (including special terrorism courts), and constitutional recognition of traditional rulers were among the most repeated demands.
The case for these reforms grows more urgent given the evolving nature of insecurity in Nigeria and the wider West African and Sahel regions. Terrorism and organized crime have transmuted and commercialized, spreading rapidly and exploiting institutional gaps. It is time for states to have the constitutional authority and institutional capacity to protect their people directly, decisively and sustainably.
I respect the skeptics who warn that state police could be abused by governors. Their concerns are legitimate and demand remedies — legal safeguards, checks and balances, transparent recruitment and oversight mechanisms, and clearly defined jurisdictions. Those safeguards should be enacted alongside any transfer of policing powers; but fear of abuse should not be an automatic veto against reform. The goal is not to centralize failure but to decentralize responsibility with robust accountability.
A persistent misconception must be corrected: a state governor’s constitutional role is chiefly executive, not chief security officer. Section 176(2) establishes the governor as the chief executive of a state. The Constitution — particularly items on the Exclusive Legislative List and provisions such as Section 215 (and related sections) — vests control of the armed forces, police and other federal security services at the federal level. In practice this means governors cannot deploy or command federal security agencies without federal clearance, a reality that has produced fatal delays, coordination failures, intelligence leaks and logistical problems in urgent operations.
For our security architecture to work, responsibilities must align with the institutions closest to the people. Granting states the capacity to respond quickly and appropriately — while embedding rigorous protections against misuse — will reduce those harmful delays and improve outcomes for victims and responders alike.
Therefore, I join millions of Nigerians in a clear, constitutional demand:
Establishment of state police under a constitutional framework that guarantees rule of law and accountability.
Full administrative and financial autonomy for Local Government Councils.
Full administrative and financial autonomy for State Houses of Assembly.
Creation of special courts for terrorism-related offences.
A constitutional role for traditional institutions.
Additionally, we renew the call for consideration of creating more states and local governments to bring governance and development closer to the people.
Mr Speaker, I urge you and the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly, and indeed every State House of Assembly, to act with the seriousness this moment requires. This is a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to preserve and strengthen our nation for present and future generations. Your oath of office obliges you to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and to act in the interest of our sovereignty, security and welfare. Heeding the clear will of the people will honor that responsibility.
We the people have spoken. Sovereignty belongs to the people. Security and welfare must be the primary purpose of government. Participation by the people in their governance must be ensured.
It is time for our leaders at all levels to rise to this historic duty and to deliver reforms that will make Nigeria safer, fairer and more resilient.
God bless the Sokoto State House of Assembly.
God bless Sokoto State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Hon. Dr. Balarabe Shehu Kakale
Former Member, 9th House of Representatives
Sakkwato Birnin Shehu
1 December 2025
