Opposition party urges House of Representatives to restart constitutional process, citing transparency and legal concerns
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged the passage of the ADC State Police Bill debate in the House of Representatives, alleging that lawmakers relied on votes transmitted through WhatsApp to secure the constitutional threshold required for the proposed amendment.
Also read: ADC alleges dangerous bias by INEC, police ahead of 2027
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, called on the House of Representatives to recommit the State Police Bill to what he described as a constitutional, transparent and inclusive legislative process, arguing that reforms of such national importance must withstand rigorous public scrutiny.
The remarks follow the House’s passage of the State Police Bill through a voice vote, a development that prompted a walkout by members of the minority caucus led by Minority Leader Fredrick Agbedi.
The ADC said it supports the principle of establishing state police to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges but insisted that the process of amending the Constitution must strictly comply with constitutional provisions and parliamentary rules.
According to the party, accounts publicly provided by lawmakers who participated in the July 23, 2026 proceedings alleged that absent members were allowed to participate through WhatsApp messages and that some lawmakers who had signed the attendance register but were no longer in the chamber were counted towards the required threshold.
“According to accounts publicly given by members who participated in the proceedings of the House of Representatives on 23 July 2026, the constitutional threshold for the amendments was achieved by recognising votes transmitted through WhatsApp from members who were absent from the Chamber and by counting members who had signed the attendance register but were no longer present when the question was put,” Abdullahi said.
He added, “These allegations raise profound legal and constitutional concerns. The Constitution is not amended by convenience. It is amended through strict procedures that leave no room for improvisation.”
The opposition party further argued that meaningful clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill was allegedly curtailed and that constitutional objections raised during deliberations were not adequately addressed.
The statement also questioned whether the current version of the legislation had received sufficient public engagement before its passage, noting that although state policing has featured in previous constitutional review exercises, the latest proposal introduces significant policy changes that deserve broader national consultation.
“It is one thing to pass a Bill for political expediency. It is another thing to ensure that it actually solves the problem it was intended to solve,” the statement said, warning that Nigeria could end up with legislation that reflects political consensus within the ruling party rather than broad public confidence.
The ADC maintained that constitutional amendments should not be rushed, recalling that several major laws and government policies had required revisions or reversals after inadequate consultation and legislative scrutiny.
State police has remained one of Nigeria’s most debated constitutional reforms for more than a decade, with supporters arguing that decentralised policing would improve responses to kidnapping, banditry and other security threats.
Critics, however, have consistently warned that state-controlled police forces could be vulnerable to political interference and abuse by governors unless accompanied by strong constitutional safeguards.
Against that backdrop, the ADC urged lawmakers to restart the legislative process to ensure the proposed constitutional amendment is thoroughly debated, strengthened where necessary and capable of commanding broad public confidence before becoming part of Nigeria’s Constitution.
Also read: ADC vows to end APC’s 8-year rule in Kwara
As of the time of reporting, the House of Representatives had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in the ADC statement.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
