Atiku Gives Tinubu 7-Day Ultimatum to Sign Bill or Step Down

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has issued President Bola Tinubu a seven-day ultimatum to act on the Federal Audit Service Bill or resign from office, accusing the President of disregarding constitutional provisions and weakening institutional accountability.

Atiku, a former Vice President, said Tinubu must either assent to the bill or formally communicate his decision to withhold assent, insisting that the President could not leave legislation transmitted by the National Assembly unattended indefinitely.

Naija News reports that Atiku made the demand in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

According to Atiku, the President’s continued inaction on the bill months after it was transmitted by the National Assembly raises serious concerns about the administration’s commitment to the rule of law, constitutional discipline and transparency in public finance.
Atiku Cites Constitutional Provision

The former Vice President cited Section 58(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which provides that, “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.”

Atiku argued that the provision imposed a clear constitutional responsibility on the President and should not be treated as optional.

“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.

He maintained that constitutional timelines were established to prevent uncertainty in governance and ensure that public officers remained accountable for decisions taken in the exercise of their powers.

Atiku said the Federal Audit Service Bill was intended to modernise Nigeria’s audit system, strengthen the independence of the Auditor-General and improve oversight of public expenditure.

He warned that delaying action on legislation aimed at strengthening accountability institutions sent the wrong signal, particularly at a time when Nigerians were demanding greater transparency in the management of public resources.

According to him, institutional crises often develop gradually when constitutional safeguards are ignored and oversight bodies are denied the legal reforms needed to effectively perform their duties.

“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,” Atiku said.

The ADC presidential candidate argued that a government’s respect for constitutional obligations should be measured by its willingness to obey the law even when compliance may be politically inconvenient.

Atiku also linked what he described as a pattern of institutional weakness to the recent controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

He said that irrespective of the outcome of ongoing investigations or official processes relating to the PFIPC controversy, the episode had exposed the risks associated with weak institutional safeguards, conflicting official accounts and declining public confidence in government processes.

“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.

Atiku warned that allowing one constitutional responsibility to be treated as optional could gradually weaken respect for other safeguards established by the country’s laws.

He added that strong institutions remained essential to preventing controversies over government approvals, public expenditure and the legitimacy of official processes.
Seven-day Ultimatum

The former Vice President subsequently gave Tinubu seven days to comply with what he described as the constitutional obligation imposed by Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution.

Atiku demanded that the President either assent to the Federal Audit Service Bill or formally communicate to the National Assembly and Nigerians his reasons for withholding assent.

He warned that should Tinubu fail to take either step within the period, the President should voluntarily resign from office.

Atiku maintained that the Presidency must demonstrate respect for constitutional timelines and accountability institutions, arguing that continued silence on the bill was incompatible with the constitutional responsibilities of the office.