State Police: Tinubu to Receive Executive Bill September 3, Says Gbajabiamila

By Frontline Reporters

The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has announced that the proposed Executive Bill aimed at establishing the legal framework for state police across Nigeria will be presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on September 3, 2026, marking a major milestone in the Federal Government’s security reform agenda.

The disclosure was made on Monday by the Chairman of the Presidential Working Group and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, shortly after the committee’s inaugural meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Gbajabiamila said the committee had adopted a detailed work plan that would culminate in the submission of a comprehensive Executive Bill package to the President for consideration before it is forwarded to the National Assembly.

According to him, the committee is committed to ensuring that the proposed legislation reflects the aspirations of Nigerians through an extensive consultation process involving critical stakeholders across the country.

He explained that once President Tinubu reviews and approves the draft legislation, the committee will embark on a nationwide consultation exercise to enable Nigerians to scrutinise the provisions of the bill and make further inputs before its formal transmission to the National Assembly.

“The approved work programme is a seven-week, milestone-driven exercise running from July 27 to September 14, 2026,” Gbajabiamila said.

“The resulting Executive Bill package is scheduled for presentation to the President on September 3. Subject to his approval, a national consultation on the completed draft will follow, after which the text and supporting materials will be revised and prepared for formal transmission to the National Assembly.”

He noted that the consultation phase would provide Nigerians with an opportunity to engage directly with the proposed legal framework, including provisions relating to the powers of state police, accountability mechanisms, funding arrangements, operational safeguards and transition processes.

The committee also issued an open invitation to members of the public, civil society organisations, professional bodies, security experts, traditional institutions, state governments and other stakeholders to submit memoranda, position papers and practical proposals that could enrich the proposed legislation.

According to Gbajabiamila, the objective is to produce a robust and nationally acceptable law capable of addressing Nigeria’s evolving security challenges while strengthening policing at the grassroots.

The establishment of the Presidential Working Group followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s inauguration of the committee in July, with the mandate to develop the legal, institutional and operational framework for the implementation of state policing in Nigeria.

The move is widely regarded as one of the most significant security reforms under the Tinubu administration, coming amid growing calls for the decentralisation of policing to improve intelligence gathering, rapid response to crime and community-based law enforcement.

If approved by the National Assembly, the proposed legislation is expected to pave the way for the establishment of state police services, with clearly defined constitutional responsibilities, funding mechanisms and oversight structures designed to complement the operations of the Nigeria Police Force while preserving national security coordination.