President Bola Tinubu has declined assent to two bills passed by the National Assembly, citing constitutional concerns and deficiencies that require legislative review before they can become law.
The decision, communicated to the Senate through two separate letters read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Thursday’s plenary, affects the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria Bill.
On the Raw Materials Research and Development Council Amendment Bill, Tinubu said the proposed legislation contains structural and drafting errors. He noted that the bill’s long title does not properly reflect its main objective, while some provisions were wrongly arranged, making the amendment incoherent and difficult to interpret.
The President also faulted inconsistencies in the bill, including the presentation of the council’s functions as legislative objectives and the insertion of new operational provisions in sections dealing with the council’s finances and accounts.
Regarding the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria Bill, Tinubu said some provisions seek to grant the institute regulatory powers beyond its statutory mandate. He specifically opposed clauses requiring organisations to notify the institute of procurement appointments and empowering it to inspect organisations and sanction employers.
According to the President, the institute is not the statutory regulator of companies established under the Companies and Allied Matters Act and therefore cannot exercise compliance powers over them. He, however, noted that the bill could be reconsidered for assent after the identified issues are corrected.
Following the communications, Akpabio referred both bills to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action, directing the committee to report back to the chamber within one month.
