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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has issued a seven-day ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu to either sign the Federal Audit Service Bill into law or formally communicate to the National Assembly his reasons for withholding assent, warning that failure to do so would amount to a breach of the Constitution.
Atiku said if the President fails to take either step within the stipulated period, he should resign.
In a statement released on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president accused Tinubu of violating the 1999 Constitution (as amended) by failing to act on the bill within the constitutionally prescribed timeframe.
He argued that the prolonged delay in either assenting to or rejecting the legislation, months after it was transmitted by the National Assembly, undermines democratic governance and accountability.
“Nigerians deserve clarity, not silence. The Constitution neither authorises executive inaction nor contemplates indefinite presidential delay. Continued failure to act only reinforces public concern that constitutional obligations are increasingly being subordinated to executive convenience,” the statement said.
Citing Section 58(4) of the Constitution, Atiku noted that the President is required to either assent to or withhold assent from any bill presented to him within 30 days.
“That provision is neither decorative nor discretionary. It is a constitutional command. The framers of our Constitution never envisaged a president who would simply sit on legislation indefinitely while governance drifts without certainty or accountability,” he added.
The Federal Audit Service Bill seeks to strengthen the independence of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, modernise Nigeria’s public audit system and improve oversight of government spending.
According to Atiku, delaying action on the legislation sends the wrong signal at a time when Nigerians are demanding greater transparency, stronger institutions and prudent management of public resources.
He further alleged that the President’s inaction reflects what he described as a broader pattern of disregard for constitutional provisions by the current administration.
“Every major scandal begins with a smaller act of institutional neglect. It begins when constitutional provisions are treated as optional, when oversight institutions are weakened and when those entrusted with enforcing the law become comfortable operating outside its clear boundaries,” he said.
Atiku also referred to the controversy surrounding the proposed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, arguing that the episode exposed the dangers of weak institutional safeguards and inconsistent official communication.
“The Constitution is one indivisible covenant. A president who treats one constitutional obligation as optional inevitably weakens respect for every other constitutional safeguard. That is how impunity gradually becomes institutional culture and governance descends into perpetual crisis management rather than responsible leadership,” he stated.
He maintained that constitutional democracy cannot thrive where leaders comply with the law selectively.
“The same Constitution that confers enormous powers on the President also places clear obligations upon him. Executive authority is not a licence for constitutional indifference. A president who expects citizens to obey the law must himself be the foremost example of obedience to the Constitution,” he added.
Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) requires the President to signify assent or withhold assent to bills passed by the National Assembly within 30 days of receiving them, while Section 58(5) empowers the National Assembly to override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority in both chambers.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not responded to Atiku’s remarks.
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