Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele says the creation of state police can no longer wait given the country’s deepening security crisis, defending the constitutional amendment bill as a response to insecurity rather than political expediency.

In a personally signed statement reacting to public debate over the State Police Bill, 2026, he said the proposal reflected years of nationwide consultations and broad consensus among critical stakeholders and should not be reduced to partisan politics. The Senate passed the bill on June 24, concurring with the House.

Bamidele said public feedback indicated many Nigerians had embraced the proposal for its potential to improve security at state and community levels, while expressing concern at attempts to portray it as a tool governors could use against opponents. Such concerns, he said, had been addressed through safeguards built into the legislation.

He said lawmakers had consulted the executive, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Conference of Speakers and the police leadership, and that public hearings across the six zones in July 2025 produced overwhelming support. The police, he added, formally backed the initiative and helped design oversight mechanisms to prevent abuse.

Bamidele said the bill enjoyed bipartisan support, with opposition lawmakers from the PDP, ADC, NDC and Labour Party joining the APC, and that 84 of 109 senators, about 77 per cent, voted in favor during clause-by-clause consideration. He urged political actors to place national security above partisan interest.