Tinubu Declines Assent To NDLEA Amendment Bill

President Bola Tinubu has refused to sign the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Amendment Bill 2025 into law.

The president declined assent to the NDLEA bill on Thursday, raising concerns about its alignment with the constitution and the potential impact on accountability.

In a letter to the House of Representatives, which was read aloud by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen during a plenary session, Tinubu cited Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution, which gives him the power to withhold assent to any bill passed by the National Assembly.

He explained that his main objection is centered on a clause in the bill that would allow the NDLEA to keep part of the money recovered from drug-related crimes.

According to Tinubu, this goes against existing laws on how recovered proceeds of crime should be handled 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 explained that, under current regulations, all money and assets seized from criminal activities must be deposited into the Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account.

Tinubu noted that any distribution of those funds to agencies like the NDLEA must be approved by the President and backed by both the Federal Executive Council 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 proposed amendment, which had been approved by both the Senate and the House, was aimed at strengthening the NDLEA’s operational independence and boosting its access to funding.

But with the President’s rejection, the bill will either be revised or abandoned, depending on the decision of lawmakers in the coming sessions.

Meanwhile, Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, calling it a joke and lacking the competence needed to address Nigeria’s problems.