President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declined assent to two bills passed by the National Assembly, citing constitutional provisions and legal deficiencies that must be corrected before they can become law.
The Senate was formally informed of the President’s decision on Thursday through two separate letters read during plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The rejected bills are the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (Establishment) Amendment Bill.
In both letters, Tinubu said he withheld assent in line with Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the President to return bills to the National Assembly with observations.
Explaining his decision on the Raw Materials Research and Development Council Amendment Bill, Tinubu said the proposed legislation contained structural and drafting errors that made it unsuitable for presidential approval.
According to him, the bill’s long title failed to reflect its core objective of promoting the development, protection and processing of Nigeria’s raw materials.
He added that the title should clearly indicate that the amendment seeks to strengthen the development and protection of Nigeria’s raw materials, as well as support local manufacturing and processing industries.
The President also pointed out inconsistencies in Section 2 of the bill, noting that it incorrectly presented the council’s functions as the objectives of the legislation.
Tinubu further criticised the placement of new provisions relating to value addition to raw materials, saying they were inserted between sections dealing with the council’s finances and annual accounts, making the amendment disjointed and difficult to interpret.
He stated that the errors rendered the bill incoherent within the framework of the principal Act.
Following the reading of the letter, Senate President Akpabio referred the communication to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
On the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria Amendment Bill, Tinubu acknowledged that several proposed amendments were commendable but said some provisions sought to grant the Institute regulatory powers beyond its legal mandate.
He specifically objected to amendments that would require incorporated companies and organisations to notify the Institute within one month of appointing a head of procurement and supply chain.
The President argued that such a requirement was legally untenable because the Institute is not the statutory regulator of those organisations.
Tinubu also rejected provisions empowering the Institute to inspect organisations, sanction employers and enforce compliance on entities established under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), insisting that such powers exceed its statutory authority.
Despite withholding assent, the President said the bill could still receive approval once the identified defects are corrected and the amended version is retransmitted.
After the second letter was read, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, directing the committee to report back to the Senate within one month.
Under Section 58(4) of the Constitution, the President may decline assent to any bill passed by the National Assembly and return it with observations. The legislature may subsequently amend the bill in line with those recommendations or, where necessary, override the presidential veto in accordance with constitutional provisions.