Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu to act on the Federal Audit Service Bill within seven days, warning that failure to do so would amount to a violation of the Constitution.
In a statement issued on Friday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku urged the President to either sign the bill into law or formally communicate to the National Assembly his reasons for withholding assent.
He argued that Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) requires the President to assent to or reject any bill transmitted by the National Assembly within 30 days.
“The Constitution does not permit indefinite silence on legislation. Nigerians deserve clarity, not executive inaction,” Atiku said.
The former Vice President maintained that continued delay in acting on the bill weakens constitutional governance and public accountability. He added that if the President refuses to comply with the constitutional requirement, he should resign from office.
According to Atiku, the Federal Audit Service Bill is intended to strengthen the independence of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, improve oversight of public spending and align Nigeria’s public audit system with international best practices.
“The framers of the Constitution never intended for a president to keep legislation in limbo indefinitely. Executive authority must be exercised within constitutional limits,” he stated.
He further alleged that the delay reflects a broader disregard for constitutional provisions, warning that ignoring legal obligations could erode public confidence in democratic institutions.
Atiku also linked the issue to recent controversies surrounding the proposed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, saying the episode underscored the dangers of weak institutional safeguards.
“The Constitution is one indivisible covenant. A president who treats one constitutional obligation as optional weakens respect for every other constitutional safeguard,” he said.
Under Section 58(5) of the Constitution, where presidential assent is withheld, the National Assembly may override the decision by securing a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not issued an official response to Atiku’s remarks.
