July 10 (THEWILL) — President Bola Tinubu has declined assent to the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (Amendment) Bill, citing constitutional, legal, and drafting deficiencies in the proposed legislation and returning them to the National Assembly for reconsideration.
THEWILL reports that the Senate was formally notified of the President’s decision through two separate letters read during Thursday’s plenary by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
In both communications, Tinubu said he withheld presidential assent pursuant to Section 58(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which empowers the President to decline assent to bills passed by the National Assembly and return them with observations for further legislative action.
On the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the President said the proposed legislation contained structural errors and drafting defects that made it unsuitable for assent.
According to him, the long title of the bill failed to reflect its principal policy objective of promoting the development, protection, and processing of Nigeria’s raw materials.
Tinubu noted that the long title ought to expressly state that the proposed amendment seeks to provide for the development and protection of Nigeria’s raw materials, as well as local manufacturing and processing industries.
He also identified inconsistencies in Section 2 of the bill, saying it erroneously presented the statutory functions of the Council as the objectives of the legislation.
The President explained that legislative objectives are intended to state policy goals and should not be drafted as enforceable statutory provisions.
He further faulted the insertion of new operational provisions relating to value addition to raw materials between existing sections of the principal Act dealing with the Council’s finances and annual accounts.
According to Tinubu, placing the new provisions within the financial framework of the principal legislation disrupted its logical structure and created inconsistencies.
“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,” the President stated.
Following the reading of the communication, Akpabio referred the President’s observations on the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
The President also declined assent to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (Amendment) Bill, although he acknowledged that most of the proposed amendments contained in the legislation were commendable.
He, however, objected to provisions he said sought to confer regulatory and enforcement powers on the Institute beyond its statutory mandate.
Specifically, Tinubu faulted the proposed amendment to Clause 8, which seeks to insert new sub-sections (10) to (15) 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.
The President argued that such a requirement was legally untenable because the Institute is not the statutory regulator of incorporated entities or 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.
Tinubu also rejected provisions empowering the Institute to inspect organisations, sanction employers, and exercise compliance functions over companies established under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), maintaining that such powers exceed the legal authority of the professional body.
Despite withholding assent, the President indicated that the proposed legislation could still receive presidential approval after the identified defects are corrected.
“Subject to the correction of the above issues, the Bill may be suitable for retransmission for assent,” he said.
After the second communication was read, Akpabio referred the President’s observations to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business and directed the committee to report back to the chamber within one month.
THEWILL reports that under Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President may withhold assent to any bill passed by the National Assembly and return it to the legislature with observations.
The National Assembly may subsequently amend the bills in line with the President’s recommendations and retransmit them for assent.
Where lawmakers disagree with the President’s position, the Constitution also provides a mechanism for overriding a presidential veto by the required constitutional majority in both chambers.
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