Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar says President Bola Tinubu violated the Constitution over the Federal Audit Service Bill. The claim centres on Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution, which sets a deadline for presidential action on bills presented for assent.
What Is The Claim About The Tinubu Audit Service Bill?
Atiku made the allegation in a statement issued by his spokesman, Phrank Shaibu.
According to the statement, President Tinubu failed to sign the Federal Audit Service Bill or withhold assent within 30 days.
He based the claim on Section 58(4) of the Constitution. He also called on the President to sign the bill, reject it formally or resign.
What Does The Constitution Say?
Section 58(4) states that the President must act within 30 days after lawmakers present a bill for assent.
The constitutional clock starts when the President receives the bill. It does not begin when the National Assembly passes the legislation or announces its passage.
That presentation date determines whether the constitutional deadline has expired.
What Evidence Is Available?
Public reports confirm that Atiku made the allegation.
However, no publicly available document confirms when the National Assembly presented the Federal Audit Service Bill to the President.
The Presidency has not announced the date it received the bill. Likewise, the National Assembly has not published a transmission record showing that date.
No official statement available at the time of publication identifies the presentation date or confirms that the 30-day period has expired.
Verdict
The Constitution requires the President to act within 30 days after lawmakers present a bill for assent.
However, the available public record does not establish when the Federal Audit Service Bill reached the President.
As a result, the available evidence does not confirm whether the constitutional deadline has expired. Therefore, the claim that President Tinubu violated Section 58(4) cannot be verified from the information currently in the public domain.
