A civil society group and three other plaintiffs have approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the procedure adopted by the House of Representatives in passing the constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish State Police in Nigeria.
The suit, filed against the House of Representatives and its Speaker, seeks to have the court declare the purported passage of the bill unconstitutional, null and of no effect.
The plaintiffs are questioning whether the House complied with constitutional requirements during its consideration and passage of the bill on July 23, 2026.
They argued that constitutional amendment bills require approval by at least two thirds of members present and voting. They also questioned whether the required approval could be established through a voice vote without an actual count of individual votes.
The plaintiffs further argued that the bill should have been considered clause by clause before being put to a vote.
The legal challenge followed the passage of the bill by the House, which announced that 311 lawmakers supported the proposed constitutional amendment. The figure included 276 members who voted physically and 35 who participated virtually.
However, minority lawmakers staged a walkout during the proceedings, alleging breaches of constitutional and parliamentary procedures. The House leadership has maintained that the process complied with the Constitution and its Standing Orders.
The plaintiffs said their challenge is focused on the legislative procedure and not on the merits of establishing State Police.
The amendment process will also require consideration by the State Houses of Assembly before it can become part of the Constitution.
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