President Bola Tinubu has withheld assent to two bills passed by the National Assembly, citing constitutional issues and drafting defects that must be addressed before the proposed laws can take effect.
The Senate was informed of the President’s decision on Thursday through separate letters read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary.
The affected legislations are the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria Bill.
Invoking Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Tinubu said the bills would require further legislative work before they could secure presidential approval.
In his observations on the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Amendment) Bill, the President noted that the proposed legislation contained several structural and drafting shortcomings.
He argued that the bill’s title failed to adequately capture its principal objective of promoting the development, protection and processing of Nigeria’s raw materials to support local manufacturing industries.
Tinubu also identified inconsistencies in the bill’s provisions, saying the council’s functions had been wrongly framed as legislative objectives rather than operational responsibilities.
According to him, amendments relating to value addition to raw materials were inserted in sections dealing with the council’s finances and annual accounts, creating confusion and making the bill difficult to interpret.
“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.
Tinubu similarly declined assent to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria Bill, arguing that some provisions sought to grant the institute powers beyond its statutory authority.
While commending several aspects of the proposed amendments, the President objected to provisions requiring organisations to notify the institute within one month of appointing heads of procurement and supply chain.
He maintained that the institute lacked the legal authority to compel independent organisations, particularly those not registered with it, to provide such information.
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“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,” Tinubu said.
The President also faulted provisions empowering the institute to inspect organisations, sanction employers and enforce compliance among companies established under the Companies and Allied Matters Act.
Despite his objections, Tinubu said the bill could still receive assent after the identified issues had been addressed by lawmakers.
Following the reading of the letters, Akpabio referred both communications to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action, with the committee expected to report back within four weeks.
