Bashir Usman: Lone lawmaker who voted against State Police bill in House of Reps

The House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment bill on Thursday to establish state police, allowing states to create their own police forces. The bill received near-unanimous support, but one lawmaker, Bashir Usman, representing Birnin-Gwari/Giwa Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, was the sole dissenting voice. Usman opposed the rushed consideration of the constitutional review report, arguing lawmakers lacked time to study its contents.

“Mr Speaker, we received this document this afternoon. We cannot know what is in this constitution review committee issue,” Usman said, urging colleagues to “do justice to Nigerians.” His objection was overruled by presiding officer Abass Tajudeen, allowing debate to proceed. Usman also questioned the readiness of existing security institutions for the proposed structure, warning against creating additional problems amid Nigeria’s security challenges.