ABUJA, Nigeria — President Bola Tinubu has declined assent to two bills passed by the National Assembly, citing constitutional concerns and drafting deficiencies that require correction before the proposed legislation can become law.
The Senate was notified of the President’s decision through two separate letters read on the floor of the chamber by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The affected bills are the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria Bill.
In both letters, Tinubu said he was withholding assent in line with Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the President to decline assent to bills and return them to the National Assembly with observations for reconsideration.
Explaining his decision on the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Amendment) Bill, the President said the proposed law contained structural and drafting deficiencies that needed to be addressed. He noted that the bill’s long title did not adequately reflect its principal objective of promoting the development, protection and processing of Nigeria’s raw materials.
According to him, the title should clearly state that the amendment seeks to provide for the development and protection of Nigeria’s raw materials, while also supporting local manufacturing and processing industries. Tinubu also identified inconsistencies in Section 2 of the bill, saying it presented the council’s functions as legislative objectives instead of operational responsibilities.
He explained that legislative objectives are meant to outline policy goals and not the specific functions of an agency, adding that the bill mixed up the two concepts. The President further observed that provisions relating to value addition to raw materials were inserted between sections dealing with the council’s finances and annual accounts, making the amendment difficult to follow.
“These erroneous insertions make the Bill incoherent and difficult to comprehend within the context of the Principal Act. Accordingly, the Bill as currently proposed is disjointed,” he stated.
Tinubu also withheld assent to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria Bill, saying some of its provisions sought to give the institute powers beyond its statutory mandate. While acknowledging that many of the proposed amendments were commendable, the President said certain provisions required further legislative review before the bill could receive presidential assent.
He specifically objected to the proposed amendment to Clause 8, which seeks to insert new sub-clauses (10) to (15) into Section 11 of the principal Act. According to Tinubu, one of the provisions would require incorporated entities and organisations to notify the institute within one month of appointing a head of procurement and supply chain.
He argued that such a requirement was legally untenable because the institute is not the statutory regulator of those organisations. “The Institute, not being the regulator, cannot force incorporated entities or organisations that are independent and perhaps not registered members of the Institute to furnish such particulars,” the President stated.
Tinubu also faulted provisions empowering the institute to inspect organisations, sanction employers and exercise compliance functions over entities established under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, saying the proposed powers exceeded the institute’s legal authority.
Despite his objections, the President said the bill could still receive his assent after the identified issues are corrected. “Subject to the correction of the above issues, the Bill may be suitable for retransmission for assent,” he said.
After the letters were read, Akpabio referred both communications to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action, directing the panel to report back to the chamber within four weeks.
Under Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution, the President may withhold assent to any bill passed by the National Assembly and return it with observations for reconsideration. Lawmakers may amend the bill in line with the President’s recommendations or, where necessary, override the veto in accordance with constitutional provisions.
