President Bola Tinubu has declined assent to two bills passed by the National Assembly over constitutional concerns and drafting defects that must be corrected before they can become law.
The Senate was informed of the President’s decision on Thursday through two separate letters read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary.
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 withheld assent under Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the President to return bills to the National Assembly with observations for reconsideration.
Explaining his decision on the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Amendment) Bill, Tinubu said the proposed legislation contained structural and drafting deficiencies.
He noted that the bill’s long title failed to properly reflect its main objective of promoting the development, protection and processing of Nigeria’s raw materials.
According to the President, the title should clearly indicate that the amendment seeks to provide for the development and protection of Nigeria’s raw materials while supporting local manufacturing and processing industries.
He also pointed out inconsistencies in Section 2 of the bill, stating that it presented the council’s functions as legislative objectives rather than operational responsibilities.
He explained that legislative objectives are intended to outline policy goals, not define the specific duties of an agency.
The President observed that provisions on value addition to raw materials were inserted between sections dealing with the council’s finances and annual accounts, making the amendment confusing.
“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 said.
Tinubu denies assent to two bills
Tinubu also declined assent to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria Bill, saying some of its provisions sought to grant the institute powers beyond its statutory mandate.
While acknowledging that several of the proposed amendments were commendable, he said certain provisions required further legislative review before presidential approval could be granted.
The President specifically objected to proposed amendments to Clause 8, which sought to introduce new sub-clauses into Section 11 of the principal Act.
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.
Tinubu 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,” he stated.
He also faulted provisions empowering the institute to inspect organisations, sanction employers and enforce compliance on entities established under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, saying such powers exceeded the institute’s legal authority.
Despite the objections, Tinubu said the bill could be reconsidered after the identified issues were corrected.
“Subject to the correction of the above issues, the Bill may be suitable for retransmission for assent,” he said.
Following the reading of the letters, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred both communications to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, directing the committee 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. Lawmakers may amend the bill in line with the President’s recommendations or override the veto in accordance with constitutional provisions.
