The leadership of Nigeria’s National Assembly met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, a few hours after both chambers resumed their plenary sessions following a short recess.
According to observations, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma arrived at the State House forecourt around 3:30 p.m. The delegation left approximately 30 minutes later without addressing journalists. The specific agenda for the meeting was not disclosed.
The National Assembly reconvened at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, having postponed its original resumption date of February 24. The shift allowed parliamentary committees to complete budget defence hearings with various ministries, departments, and agencies—a critical step before passing the annual fiscal plan.
This meeting follows a series of recent engagements between President Tinubu and lawmakers, during which he has persistently advocated for the establishment of state police. During separate Ramadan Iftar dinners for senators on February 25 and House members on February 27, the president urged legislators to commence constitutional amendment processes to create state-controlled police forces. He argued this devolution would enhance national security, enabling states to reclaim forests from criminal elements and reduce fear among citizens. Tinubu also stressed the need for constitutional safeguards to prevent potential misuse by state governors.
His push aligns with a broader commitment to security restructuring. On February 23, he hosted state governors for an Iftar, declaring the creation of state police a non-negotiable priority. Reports indicate that during that week, President Tinubu also asked the then-Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to resign. Sources noted that Egbetokun had resisted the state police initiative and was slow in executing directives to withdraw police officers from VIP protection duties nationwide.
The Tuesday meeting underscores the executive-legislative dialogue on constitutional reforms, particularly the proposal to amend Nigeria’s governance structure to incorporate state police. Advancement of such an amendment requires concurrent two-thirds majority approval in both chambers of the National Assembly and ratification by at least 24 of the 36 state houses of assembly. The outcome of these closed-door discussions may influence the pace and framing of the legislative process ahead.
