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Reps Minority Caucus stage Walk Out as House Passes Tinubu’s State Police Bill
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…allege constitutional breaches in voting process as 311 lawmakers back landmark amendment
…reaffirm their support for state policing in principle
By Gloria Ikibah
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives on Thursday staged a dramatic walkout during plenary in protest against the passage of President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Bill on the establishment of State Police, accusing the House leadership of violating constitutional provisions and the chamber’s Standing Orders.
Despite the protest, the House approved the Constitution Alteration Bill after 311 lawmakers voted in its favour, marking a major milestone in the ongoing effort to decentralise policing and strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
The Executive Bill, transmitted to the National Assembly by President Tinubu last week, seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to create a constitutional framework for the establishment of State Police Services. The proposal followed months of debate over the need for a multi-layered policing system to tackle rising insecurity across the country. It also replaced an earlier version of the bill previously passed by the House after lawmakers rescinded their earlier resolution to accommodate the President’s proposal.
Speaking to journalists shortly after leading members of the caucus out of the chamber, Minority Leader, Rep. Fredrick Agbedi, said their action was not a rejection of state police but a protest against what they described as the disregard for due legislative process.
He argued that the Speaker, while presiding as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, ignored the constitutional requirements governing amendments to the Constitution.
He said: “The Constitution is the grand norm. It is the rule book from which even our Standing Orders derive their powers. For the Speaker, acting as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, to disregard the clear provisions of Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, is a great affront to the workings of the House of Representatives.”
Agbedi maintained that attendance in the House is determined through members’ registers signed on each legislative day and not by names read during proceedings.
The Minority Caucus also insisted that every clause of a constitutional amendment bill must be considered individually and supported by a two-thirds majority, as required by both the Constitution and the House Standing Orders.
Quoting Order 13 Rule 15(a) of the House Rules, the lawmakers stated:
“In the clause-by-clause consideration in the Committee of the Whole, a clause shall be deemed passed only if supported by a positive vote of two-thirds majority of members of the House.”
The caucus faulted the decision to pass the bill through a voice vote after only the long title was read, without detailed consideration of each clause.
Reaffirming their support for state policing in principle, the lawmakers stressed that procedure should never be sacrificed.
“We are not against the creation of state police. Whatever will help address insecurity in Nigeria, we are prepared to support. But every action taken by Parliament must follow due process”, he added.
According to the minority leader, they had earlier held discussions with Speaker Abbas Tajudeen on aspects of the bill that required amendments, and believed there was an understanding that those concerns would be addressed.
The lawmaker warned that failure to comply with constitutional procedures could undermine the credibility of the National Assembly and Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“Mr. Speaker even identified areas where we could intervene, but when he sat as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, he simply read the long title and put the question through a voice vote. That is absurd.
“When the rules and regulations are not complied with, it affects the credibility of the institution as well as the credibility of Nigeria and our democracy”, Agbedi stated.
The caucus further alleged that the Speaker denied them the opportunity to raise constitutional points of order before the vote was taken.
“As Minority Leader, I raised a point of order, but before hearing me, the Chairman ruled me out of order. Which order was he ruling me out of? He ought to have heard my point of order first before deciding whether it complied with our rules or the Constitution”, he said.
The caucus also questioned how the constitutional requirement of a two-thirds majority could have been met after opposition lawmakers had left the chamber.
“If we walked out of the House, where are our votes? Can you count our votes? Can anybody decide a constitutional amendment with a voice vote? It is not possible”, he asked.
Describing the development as a dangerous precedent, the Minority Caucus accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of weakening democratic institutions.
“We stand on the side of Nigerians. We stand on the side of the rule of law. We stand on the side of what will make Nigeria a great nation and not what will diminish the integrity, progress and development of this country”, the minority leader noted.
The lawmakers urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, insisting that while they support the establishment of state police, any constitutional amendment must strictly comply with the provisions of the Constitution and the House Standing Orders.
Meanwhile, the House proceeded with the consideration and adoption of the report of its Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
At the conclusion of the exercise, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen announced that 311 members voted in support of the bill, comprising 276 lawmakers physically present in the chamber and 35 who participated virtually.
The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for the Establishment of State Police Services and for Related Matters (HB. 2797),” now moves to the next stage of the constitutional amendment process.
In forwarding the legislation to the House, President Tinubu said the proposal builds on previous work by lawmakers while introducing additional safeguards to ensure the effective implementation of a dual policing system.
“This bill builds on the significant work already done in this regard by the House of Representatives and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure to address our nation’s evolving national security challenges can be achieved quickly and effectively to the benefit of all Nigerians.
“The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganize Nigeria’s security architecture to better protect our citizens, and I am confident that the House of Representatives will act quickly to consider and pass this Bill.
“While I look forward to expeditious consideration of this submission by the House of Representatives, please accept, Rt. Honourable Speaker, the assurances of my consideration and best regards”, he said.
Following receipt of the Executive Bill, the House rescinded its earlier resolution of 11 June 2026 on the establishment of State Police Services and dissolved the 12-member Conference Committee constituted on 9 July 2026, paving the way for consideration of the President’s revised proposal.
No fewer than nine passengers were killed when gunmen opened fire on a commercial bus at Dungus Junction in Kuru community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Residents told journalists that the incident occurred when the bus driver parked to allow some passengers alight at the junction.
According to Daily Trust the bus which was heading to Jos was stained with blood and riddled with bullets.
Lawan Suleiman, a neighbor and teacher of one of the victims, confirmed the incident, adding that the attack occurred while the bus was stopped at the junction.
He said, “The driver is Ibrahim and he was my student. Three of them are from our community here in Bukuru. Their bodies have been deposited at the hospital. But relatives are preparing to collect them for burial.”
Spokesman of the Berom Youth Moulders, BYM, Rwang Tengwong, also confirmed the incident saying the victims were passengers travelling to Jos when the attackers opened fire on their vehicle.
“The incident happened around 9.40p.m. The victims were all passengers travelling to Jos when the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle. Among those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow. It is a very sad development and we lament the loss of lives.”
According to him, some of the passengers sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to hospitals, where some later died.
Plateau state police command is yet to issue a statement regarding the incident as of press. (Daily Trust)
More than 600 senior lecturers from public universities across Northern Nigeria have declared their support for President Bola Tinubu’s bid to secure another term in the 2027 presidential election.
As reported by DAILY TRUST, the lecturers made their position known at a stakeholders’ meeting in Kaduna convened by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, to discuss the administration’s performance and the country’s political direction ahead of the next general election.
The meeting, held at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Centre, attracted several northern political leaders, including Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal, Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni, Borno Governor Babagana Zulum and Gombe Governor Inuwa Yahaya.
The Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle, Minister of Housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, and former Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, were also among those who attended the engagement.
Presenting the communiqué, the Vice Chancellor of Kaduna State University, Prof Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa, said the academics assessed Tinubu’s administration since May 2023, including its handling of the economy, security, education, infrastructure and social development.
According to the lecturers, although some government reforms had increased the economic burden on Nigerians through higher living and transportation costs, the measures had also improved government revenue and public finances. They further cited developments in education funding, agriculture, infrastructure, business support and the digital economy.
The academics subsequently resolved to support Tinubu’s re-election but cautioned that their backing was not an unconditional endorsement.
They called on the Federal Government to urgently address food and transport costs, unemployment and insecurity, while strengthening investment in education, healthcare, agriculture, electricity, roads and other infrastructure in the North.
However, the Academic Staff Union of Universities distanced itself from the declaration, with its President, Prof Chris Piwuna, insisting that ASUU remains politically neutral.
Piwuna said individual lecturers were free to support any political party or candidate of their choice, but stressed that such decisions must not be attributed to the union.
“We have never, and we will never endorse any political party candidate. Nobody should drag us into such things,” the ASUU president said.
The endorsement came as political consultations intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the Tinubu camp seeking the backing of influential groups across Northern Nigeria.
The Presidency has rejected calls by former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to restore petrol subsidy, insisting that the government will not reverse the policy.
The Presidency warned that bringing back the subsidy would undermine reforms already carried out in the petroleum sector, create fresh legal and fiscal complications and potentially discourage investment in domestic refining.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated this while reacting to Atiku’s proposal to reintroduce a form of petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.
Onanuga described the proposal as “retrogressive” and fiscally unsustainable, accusing Atiku of seeking to reverse reforms in an attempt to gain political advantage ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, Nigeria’s petroleum sector has undergone fundamental changes since Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023.
He argued that restoring the subsidy could undermine investments in local refining, including the Dangote refinery and a growing number of modular refineries.
N15.8trn generated since subsidy removal
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the removal of petrol subsidy generated about N15.8 trillion in resources for the federation between June 2023 and December 2025.
Oyedele said the Federal Government received N5.4 trillion from the additional resources, while N10.4 trillion was shared among state and local governments.
President Tinubu has also criticised Atiku’s proposal, describing it as evidence of what he called the former vice president’s lack of understanding of governance and economic management.
Tinubu made the remarks while receiving Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke at the State House.
Why Tinubu removed subsidy
Tinubu announced the end of petrol subsidy during his inauguration speech on May 29, 2023, declaring that “subsidy is gone.”
The policy immediately triggered a sharp increase in petrol prices, with pump prices rising from below N200 per litre to significantly higher levels.
The removal was part of the administration’s broader economic reform programme aimed at reducing government spending on petrol subsidies, freeing public resources and encouraging investment in domestic refining.
However, the policy also contributed to a steep rise in transportation costs and living expenses, with food prices and household costs increasing significantly amid broader economic pressures.
Atiku changes position
Atiku, who supported subsidy removal during the 2023 presidential campaign, has since shifted his position, making the restoration of petrol subsidy a major component of his 2027 economic agenda.
The former vice president argues that Nigerians have yet to see sufficient benefits from the trillions of naira freed by the policy.
He has particularly criticised the impact of subsidy removal on household welfare, arguing that the savings have not translated into cheaper food, improved living standards or meaningful relief for ordinary Nigerians.
Atiku, however, says his proposal would not amount to a return to the opaque subsidy regime of the past.
Instead, he has proposed what he describes as a targeted and transparent intervention focused on domestic refining, with government support capped, budgeted and tied to verifiable production and measurable benefits to consumers.
Under his proposal, every barrel of crude allocated to support the intervention would be tracked to ensure that Nigerians benefit through lower fuel prices.
Atiku said the approach would provide cheaper crude feedstock to Nigerian refineries while ensuring that the resulting benefits are passed on to consumers.
The clash over petrol subsidy is therefore emerging as a major economic and political issue ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the Tinubu administration defending subsidy remova
Sad: Nine passengers killed as gunmen open fire on bus in Plateau
Over 600 senior lecturers back Tinubu, ASUU disowns approval
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