Atiku gives Tinubu 7days to sign audit service bill

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has given President Bola Tinubu a seven-day ultimatum to sign the Federal Audit Service Bill into law or formally notify the National Assembly of his decision to withhold assent.

Atiku gave the warning stating that failure to act within the constitutional timeframe amounts to a breach of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), arguing that the president’s continued silence on the bill undermines democratic governance, constitutional order and public accountability.

The former vice president also accused Tinubu of disregarding Section 58(4) of the Constitution by failing to either assent to or reject the bill months after it was transmitted by the National Assembly.

In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the president’s inaction as unconstitutional, insisting that the Constitution does not permit indefinite delays in the treatment of legislation passed by the National Assembly.

“Nigerians deserve clarity, not silence,” the Presidential aspirant said in the statement.

“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,” Atiku added.

Citing Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Atiku noted that the president is constitutionally required to either signify assent or withhold assent to any bill presented to him within 30 days.

He mentioned that the provision is neither decorative nor discretionary but a constitutional command, uttering that the framers of Nigeria’s Constitution never envisaged a president who would simply sit on legislation indefinitely while governance drifts without certainty or accountability.

The ADC figure also mentioned that the Federal Audit Service Bill was out in place to strengthen the independence of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, modernise Nigeria’s public audit system, enhance oversight of public expenditure and align the country’s audit framework with international best practices.

According to him, delaying action on legislation designed to improve transparency and accountability sends the wrong signal at a time when Nigerians are demanding stronger institutions and prudent management of public resources.

He argued that the president’s failure to act reflects what he described as a broader pattern of constitutional disregard by the current administration.

“Every major scandal begins with a smaller act of institutional neglect,” he said.

“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.”

The former vice president also referenced the controversy surrounding the proposed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, saying the episode underscored 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 said.

Maintaining that constitutional democracy cannot thrive where leaders obey the law selectively, Atiku stressed that executive authority must be exercised within the limits prescribed by the Constitution.

“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.