Senate approves Police Act bill, extends IGP term until 2027

Onyewuchi dumps LP for APC

The Senate has swiftly considered and passed for third reading a bill to amend the Police Act, 2020, extending the tenure of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Unlike the Principal Act of 2020, which prescribes a four-year tenure for an IG, the amendment bill seeks to allow anyone appointed to the office of the IGP to remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment.

Following a letter from President Bola Tinubu, the Senate swung into action yesterday and swiftly passed the President’s bill to amend the Police Act, 2020 for third reading.

During the main debate, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele explained that the proposed legislation was aimed at retaining and keeping in office a person appointed as Inspector General of Police until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment.

To achieve this, the Senate retained Section 18 of the Principal Act 2020 but inserted a new sub-section 8A which makes it mandatory for the IGP to serve for four years irrespective of whether he has attained the retirement age of 60 years or has completed 35 years of service as stipulated in the Civil Service Rules.

If passed, the current Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, will be the main beneficiary. Egbetokun, who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, is expected to retire from the Nigeria Police Force on September 4, 2024.

With this amendment, Egbetokun can now serve until 2027. Senator Seriake Dickson said in his contribution that the proposed amendment is unconstitutional and called for the bill to be withdrawn for further consultations.

The Senate rejected all attempts to stop the bill and passed the bill through first, second and third readings in less than 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, the Senator representing Imo East Senatorial District, Ezenwa Onyewuchi, has left the Labour Party (LP), which won the seat for him, to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Onyewuchi explained in his letter to the Senate that his decision was a result of the persistent divisions and crisis within the Labour Party that had sponsored his election to the Upper House.

The lawmaker left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2022 to join the Labour Party.