TINUBU REJECTS NDLEA BILL OVER FUNDING CLAUSE, SAYS IT CONTRADICTS FINANCIAL LAWS
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
President Bola Tinubu has declined assent to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bill, 2025, citing contradictions with existing financial regulations regarding the management of crime proceeds.
The President’s decision was conveyed in a letter read by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during Thursday’s plenary session.
The rejected bill sought to allow the NDLEA to retain a portion of funds recovered from drug-related crimes. However, Tinubu stated that such a provision runs contrary to the established legal framework which mandates that all proceeds of crime be remitted to the government’s Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account.
He emphasized that under current law, disbursements to recovery agencies like the NDLEA can only be made with presidential approval, and must also be subject to the consent of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly. This process, he noted, ensures accountability and institutional oversight.
This marks the second time within a week that Tinubu has withheld assent to a legislative proposal. On Tuesday, he rejected the National Assembly Library Trust Fund (Establishment) Amendment Bill, 2025, also citing inconsistencies with federal laws and funding structures.
Meanwhile, Tinubu is expected to sign four major tax reform bills into law, signaling a shift in Nigeria’s fiscal landscape. The bills — the Nigeria Tax Bill, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill — were passed following extensive stakeholder engagement.
In a related political development, three members of the House of Representatives defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from opposition parties. Chimaobi Atu (Enugu State) left the Labour Party, citing internal leadership crises. He joins Peter Akpanke (Cross River) and Paul Nnamchi (Enugu), who also recently defected from the PDP and LP, respectively. Speaker Abbas formally announced their defections during plenary.
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