By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill says 24 State Houses of Assembly have approved the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, providing for a dual policing system.

The approval meets the constitutional threshold of two-thirds of the 36 states required for the amendment to proceed.

The Working Group commended the State Houses of Assembly for their action and acknowledged the National Assembly for passing the amendment in both chambers.

This is contained in a statement issued by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the president and chairman of the Working Group, on Friday in Abuja.

“In line with Section 9 of the Constitution, the amendment can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to Mr President for assent.”

Mr Gbajabiamila said the approval provided constitutional backing for the policing framework outlined in the Working Group’s draft National Policing Bill, 2026.

He added that the draft bills were undergoing legislative drafting, review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.

The bills are expected to be returned on or before October 30, after which the Working Group will give them final consideration before presenting them to President Bola Tinubu.

The Working Group urged stakeholders to support a smooth transition to a dual policing system aimed at improving public safety.

The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has ruled that the removal and replacement of former ECOWAS Commissioner for Internal Services, Prof. Nazifi Abdullahi Darma, were unlawful, overturning a process that culminated in his replacement being formalised by the Council of Ministers.

Darma disclosed the outcome while briefing journalists in Abuja on the Court’s recent judgment.

He said the dispute arose after a memorandum dated 30 October 2025 by the then President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray withdrew responsibilities previously exercised by Darma and initiated steps that eventually led to his replacement.

While Darma challenged the actions before the ECOWAS Court on 3 November 2025, the Federal Republic of Nigeria subsequently recalled him and nominated a successor.

The Council of Ministers later formalised the replacement.
However, the Court found that the legal requirements for ending his mandate had not been satisfied.

According to Darma, the Court held that the memorandum triggering the process was based on adverse allegations that affected his responsibilities and was issued without giving him an effective opportunity to respond.

“The Court found that these actions were taken without prior notice or an effective opportunity for me to respond,” he said.

The Court further ruled that managerial powers vested in the President of the Commission could not be used to extinguish or transfer responsibilities assigned by Community law to another statutory office.

Darma said the Court also rejected the argument that Nigeria’s recall automatically ended his tenure as Commissioner.

“Once appointed, a Commissioner derives his mandate from Community law and not from the nominating Member State,” he quoted the Court as holding.

The Court consequently declared that his removal and replacement were unlawful, notwithstanding the subsequent actions taken to formalise the change in office.

The judgment ordered the payment of outstanding salaries, allowances and accrued entitlements up to the expiration of his tenure and awarded him US$50,000 in general damages.
Because his tenure expired on 31 August 2026, the Court did not order reinstatement.

Describing the ruling as significant for regional governance, Darma said it reaffirmed that ECOWAS statutory office holders can only be removed through procedures recognised by Community law.

A former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Engr. Mansur Ahmed, has predicted a possible mass exodus of prominent politicians and party stakeholders from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State amid persistent internal disagreements.

Ahmed made the prediction while addressing journalists following his resignation from the APC, according to a statement signed by Usman Bello on his behalf.

The former APC member described the recent resignation of party chieftain Alhaji Aminu Dabo as an indication of a deeper crisis within the party, suggesting that more prominent members could leave in the coming days.

Ahmed alleged that the Kano APC was experiencing persistent internal disputes that had continued to undermine unity among its members, with little indication that the disagreements would be resolved soon.

He further disclosed that several political leaders and stakeholders across Kano State were holding consultations over their future in the party and were considering formally resigning.

According to Ahmed, the consultations involved prominent political figures and their allies who were weighing their options before deciding on their next political destination.

Reflecting on his political career, Ahmed described himself as a former PDP governorship aspirant who also served as Deputy Coordinator of the 2015 presidential campaign in Kano.

He said he and his associates were currently consulting with political allies to determine the next direction of their political engagement following his departure from the APC.

The statement did not identify the other party leaders allegedly preparing to resign or disclose when they might announce their decisions.

It also did not indicate whether Ahmed and the politicians consulting with him had reached any agreement to join another political party.

Ahmed’s prediction comes amid continuing political realignments in Kano State as political actors assess their options ahead of the 2027 general elections.