President Bola Tinubu has withheld his assent from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bill, 2025, citing contradictions with established financial procedures.
The president’s decision was conveyed in a letter read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during Thursday’s plenary session.
The bill had proposed allowing the NDLEA to retain a share of proceeds from drug-related crimes, a provision Tinubu described as inconsistent with current legal frameworks.
According to the president, “All proceeds of crime are paid into the government’s Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account. Disbursements to any recovery agency, including the NDLEA, can only be made by presidential approval, subject to the consent of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.”
He maintained that the current system ensures accountability and transparency and should not be altered.
This marks the second time in the same week that President Tinubu has declined to sign a bill into law. On Tuesday, he rejected the National Assembly Library Trust Fund (Establishment) Amendment Bill, 2025, also citing inconsistencies with federal policies regarding funding, taxation, and salary structures.
However, the president is expected to endorse four significant tax reform bills aimed at reshaping Nigeria’s fiscal framework. These include the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill — all of which were passed by the National Assembly following broad stakeholder engagement.
More Lawmakers defect to Tinubu’s APC
Meanwhile, political realignments continue in the House of Representatives. On Thursday, Chimaobi Atu, representing an Enugu constituency, announced his defection from the Labour Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He blamed internal leadership disputes within the Labour Party for his decision.
His switch comes shortly after two other lawmakers — Peter Akpanke (Cross River) and Paul Nnamchi (Enugu) — also left the PDP and Labour Party, respectively, to join the APC.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas formally announced all three defections during plenary.
