By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a Constitution Alteration Bill seeking the establishment of state police to the Senate.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, made this known during Tuesday’s plenary, adding that the Senate will consider the constitutional amendment bill on Wednesday, tomorrow.

Akpabio also announced that the states have promised to consider the state police bill on the same day once they receive it.

The proposed legislation seeks to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to create a legal framework for state police across the federation.

The move follows repeated calls by the President for constitutional reforms to enable states to play a greater role in securing their territories.

In February, Tinubu urged the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to accommodate state police, describing the reform as necessary to tackle terrorism, banditry and other security threats.

During his Democracy Day address earlier this month, the President vowed that terrorists, bandits and their sponsors would face the full weight of the law, insisting that no mercy would be shown to enemies of the state.

Tinubu said more than 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised within the last year and noted that terrorism-related deaths had fallen significantly compared to previous years.

However, he acknowledged that the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states remained a painful reminder of the country’s security challenges.

The state police proposal has gained momentum in recent months, with both chambers of the National Assembly advancing constitutional amendment processes aimed at decentralising policing powers to the states.

The Senate is also expected to reconvene today for an emergency plenary session as lawmakers move to pass the bill and advance one of the most far-reaching security reforms in the country’s democratic history.

The Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, has denied allegations that it sold 69 nomination forms to former Kano Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to “hijack” the party, saying all positions have been filled and Kwankwaso is not even a member.

Abdulkadir Guza had alleged that Kwankwaso procured 69 PRP nomination forms to take over the party’s structure ahead of 2027.

In an interview with Journalists on Monday, PRP Secretary Alhaji Musa Maigari said ”
As it stands, all positions in PRP have been filled. Primary elections are over, and every political party has concluded its primaries,” he said.

He further stated that the person behind the allegation has no link to PRP. “The man who raised these allegations is not even our member. It is laughable at this time when primaries are over, someone is talking about primaries or nomination forms.”

The Secretary insisted there is no record of any form transaction with Kwankwaso or his representatives at the party secretariat.

Maigatari noted that the claim appears ill-timed, coming after PRP concluded its primary elections for the next election cycle.

He urged members of the public to disregard “baseless rumors” and rely only on information from the party’s official channels.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Monday ordered the remand of Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of African Action Congress, in Kuje Prison.

Justice Mohammed Umar, in a short ruling, ordered Mr Sowore to be kept in prison pending the hearing and determination of his motion for a stay of the order for revoking bail and bench warrant.

Mr Umar also dismissed Mr Sowore’s earlier application seeking the judge’s recusal from the case on the ground of alleged bias.

The judge then adjourned the matter until June 24 for the hearing of the application for stay.

The motion for stay was filed by the defendant’s new lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika.

Mr Sowore, also the publisher of Sahara Reporters, arrived at the court accompanied by members of his group, who held placards.

Mr Umar had, on June 16, revoked a bail granted to Mr Sowore following his failure to appear in court for his trial.

Mr Umar, in a ruling on an oral application made by the lawyer to the State Security Service, Akinkolu Kehinde, also issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

The SSS is prosecuting Mr Sowore for allegedly making false claims against the person of President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as “a criminal” in a post he made on X and Facebook.