Tinubu declines assent to 2 National Assembly bills

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declined assent to two bills recently passed by the National Assembly, citing concerns that certain provisions are inconsistent with federal policy, fiscally unsound, and potentially detrimental to good governance.

The development was announced during Tuesday’s plenary session, where Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the President’s objection letters to lawmakers as the Senate resumed from its annual recess.

The first bill rejected by the President is the proposed law establishing the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT). While President Tinubu acknowledged the good intentions behind the bill, he flagged specific provisions that he deemed problematic, raising concerns about their alignment with national transport policies and the potential fiscal implications for the federal government.

Among the issues highlighted was the bill’s provision authorising the institute to collect 1% of all import and export freight levies a measure the President described as “onerous and unfair to businesses,” and incompatible with the Federal Government’s tax policy.

The legislation also allowed the institute to borrow up to ₦50 million without presidential approval and to invest public funds, even though the agency is not designed to generate revenue.

Tinubu warned that these clauses could lead to serious financial mismanagement and violate existing fiscal discipline frameworks.

“Such clauses pose serious fiscal and governance challenges and, if allowed, would set a dangerous precedent,” he stated.

The President also withheld assent to the National Library Trust Fund (Establishment) Amendment Bill 2025, citing conflicts with existing laws and policies.

According to Tinubu, the bill contradicted core government policies related to the funding of public agencies, taxation, public service remuneration, and age and tenure limits for public servants.

He stressed that enacting the bill in its current form would “create an unsustainable precedent against the public interest.”

In both letters, Tinubu urged the Senate to address the identified inconsistencies and revise the bills accordingly.

“I hope that the Senate will take the necessary steps to fix the identified issues with this legislation,” he wrote.

Responding to the President’s concerns, Senate President Akpabio thanked him for his careful scrutiny of the bills and acknowledged the need for further legislative refinement.

“This is a demonstration of the President’s steady hands and attention to detail. It now falls on us to re-examine the bills and ensure they are in line with national policy and fiscal responsibility,” Akpabio told his colleagues.

Both bills were subsequently referred to relevant Senate Committees for further legislative action.