By Christiana Ekpa
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declined assent to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Amendment Bill 2025, citing constitutional and transparency concerns.
In a formal communication addressed to the House of Representatives and read during plenary by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, President Tinubu invoked Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which empowers him to withhold assent to a bill passed by the National Assembly.
The President explained that his decision was based on a key provision in the amendment bill that seeks to allow the NDLEA retain a portion of proceeds derived from drug-related crimes. He argued that such a provision conflicts with the existing legal and administrative framework guiding the management of proceeds of crime in Nigeria.
“The rationale for my decision is that the bill seeks to give the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency power to retain a portion of the proceeds of drug-related crime,” Tinubu stated in the letter.
He emphasized that under current laws, all proceeds of crime are required to be paid into the Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account. Furthermore, disbursements to any agency involved in such recoveries must be authorized by the President, with approval from both the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the National Assembly.
“There is no compelling reason to change the current process, which promotes transparency, as it involves executive and legislative oversight,” the President added.
The NDLEA Amendment Bill 2025, which had earlier been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, was designed to enhance the agency’s operational independence and funding capacity.
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