The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives staged a walkout during plenary in protest against the passage of a constitutional amendment bill establishing State Police Services, alleging that House leadership violated constitutional procedure during its consideration.

Minority Leader Fredrick Agbedi said the caucus was not opposed to the creation of state police itself but objected to how the bill was passed, arguing that Speaker Tajudeen Abbas failed to subject each clause of the constitutional amendment to the individual two thirds majority vote required under the Constitution and House rules, instead reading only the bill’s long title before a single voice vote. He said the caucus had previously discussed proposed changes with the Speaker, who acknowledged room for amendment, but that the process was not followed when the bill reached the floor.

Despite the walkout, 311 lawmakers, including 276 present in the chamber and 35 voting virtually, voted in favor of the bill following adoption of a report from the House Committee on Constitution Review chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.