Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has given President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a seven-day ultimatum to act on the Federal Audit Service Bill in accordance with constitutional provisions or resign from office.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the President of disregarding the Constitution and undermining institutional accountability by failing to conclude action on the bill months after it was transmitted by the National Assembly.
The former Vice President said Tinubu’s continued inaction contravenes Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires the President to either assent to a bill or withhold assent within 30 days of its presentation.
Quoting the constitutional provision, Atiku said:
“Where a Bill is presented to the President for assent, he shall within thirty days thereof signify that he assents or that he withholds assent.”
He argued that the requirement is mandatory and not subject to presidential discretion.
“That provision is neither decorative nor discretionary. It is a constitutional command. The framers of our Constitution never envisaged a President who would simply sit on legislation indefinitely while governance drifts without certainty or accountability,” he said.
According to Atiku, the Federal Audit Service Bill is designed to modernise Nigeria’s public audit framework by strengthening the independence of the Auditor-General and improving oversight of government expenditure.
He said delaying action on legislation aimed at promoting transparency and accountability sends the wrong message at a time when Nigerians are demanding stronger institutions and greater fiscal responsibility.
“Every major scandal begins with a smaller act of institutional neglect. 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,” he stated.
The former Vice President also linked the issue to the recent controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), arguing that, regardless of the outcome of ongoing investigations or official reviews, the episode highlights the consequences of weak institutional safeguards, conflicting official narratives and declining public confidence in governance.
He said failure to respect constitutional timelines and strengthen accountability institutions creates an environment in which governance controversies can thrive.
“If constitutional timelines can be ignored without consequence, if accountability legislation can remain unattended beyond the period contemplated by the Constitution, and if institutions responsible for safeguarding public resources are denied the reforms they require, then no Nigerian should be surprised when controversies emerge over public institutions, government approvals and official processes,” Atiku said.
He warned that selective compliance with constitutional obligations undermines the rule of law and weakens constitutional safeguards designed to promote accountability.
Consequently, Atiku urged Tinubu to comply with Section 58(4) of the Constitution within seven days by either assenting to the Federal Audit Service Bill or formally communicating to the National Assembly and Nigerians his decision to withhold assent and the reasons for doing so.
He maintained that failure to take either step within the stipulated period would amount to continued disregard for the Constitution and insisted that the President should voluntarily resign if he is unwilling to fulfil his constitutional responsibilities.
