The House of Representatives has passed the state police bill, effectively clearing the path for the decentralization of the Nigerian policing architecture.
The historic resolution followed a vote by 289 lawmakers in favor of state police during Thursday’s plenary session, which was presided over by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.
The House had dedicated Thursday’s entire plenary to voting on the State Police Bill following a severe spike in killings, kidnappings, and banditry across the country in the past few months.
The high-stakes session was not without its fair share of drama. Shortly after the lawmakers settled down for the business of the day, Kaduna lawmaker Bashir Zubairu moved a point of order, explaining that the document on the proposed state police put together by the House Committee on Constitution Review had only reached the lawmakers on Thursday afternoon.
Recognized to speak by the speaker, Zubairu said, “Mr Speaker, this document was only made available to lawmakers in the chambers, and we are yet to go through it. We cannot do justice to it because we have not gone through it.”
Zubairu, a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was promptly ruled out of order, allowing the process to move forward.
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As the Speaker took members through the specific clauses, several voices shouting “Point of Order” could be heard across the floor, but the presiding officer ignored the interruptions.
Before the actual voting commenced, Abbas announced that the electronic voting system was faulty, noting that the exercise would instead be conducted manually based on attendance.
Out of the 290 members present in the chambers, 289 voted in favor of the establishment of state police, while only one lawmaker voted against it. The Speaker himself abstained from voting.
