The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take action on the Federal Audit Service Bill, warning that failure to do so would amount to a breach of constitutional responsibility.
In a statement released in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the President of failing to comply with constitutional provisions by not concluding action on the bill months after it was transmitted by the National Assembly.
The former Vice President argued that the President’s continued inaction contravenes Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires the President to either assent to a bill or formally withhold assent within 30 days of receiving it.
Quoting the constitutional provision, Atiku noted that once a bill is presented for presidential assent, the President is required to indicate within 30 days whether he approves or rejects it.
According to him, the constitutional requirement is mandatory and leaves no room for indefinite delay.
“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 stated.
Atiku described the Federal Audit Service Bill as a critical reform measure aimed at strengthening the independence of the Auditor-General’s office, improving public financial oversight, and enhancing accountability in government spending.
He argued that delaying action on legislation designed to promote transparency sends a negative message at a time when citizens are demanding stronger institutions and greater fiscal discipline.
The former Vice President warned that major governance failures often begin with the erosion of institutional safeguards and disregard for constitutional procedures.
He also linked the issue to recent controversies surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), arguing that regardless of the outcome of ongoing investigations, the situation underscored the dangers of weak institutional checks, conflicting official narratives, and declining public confidence in governance.
According to Atiku, failure to adhere to constitutional timelines and strengthen accountability mechanisms creates conditions that allow governance-related controversies to 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,” he said.
He further cautioned that selective compliance with constitutional obligations undermines respect for the rule of law and weakens democratic institutions designed to ensure transparency and accountability.
Atiku therefore called on President Tinubu to comply with the provisions of Section 58(4) of the Constitution within seven days by either assenting to the Federal Audit Service Bill or formally notifying the National Assembly and the Nigerian public of his decision to withhold assent, including the reasons for doing so.
He maintained that failure to take either course of action would constitute continued disregard for the Constitution and argued that a president unwilling to fulfil constitutional obligations should voluntarily step aside from office.
Atiku Gives Tinubu Seven-Day Deadline to Act on Audit Bill
