Atiku Abubakar has joined calls demanding Tinubu’s resignation.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has urged President Bola Tinubu to either assent to the Federal Audit Service Bill or resign, accusing the administration of undermining constitutional discipline and institutional accountability.
Atiku made the call in a statement issued on Friday by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, expressing concern over the President’s delay in taking action on the bill several months after it was transmitted by the National Assembly.
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The former vice president described the delay as another indication of what he called an administration’s growing disregard for constitutional provisions, transparency and the rule of law.
Atiku cited Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires the President to either assent to or withhold assent to a bill presented before him within 30 days.
He argued that the constitutional provision is a mandatory requirement and not a discretionary option for the President.
“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,” Atiku stated.
According to him, the Federal Audit Service Bill is aimed at modernising Nigeria’s audit system, enhancing the independence of the Auditor-General and improving oversight of public spending.
Atiku warned that prolonged delays in acting on key legislation could weaken public institutions and send the wrong message at a time Nigerians are demanding stronger accountability mechanisms.
He said institutional failures often begin with what appears to be minor disregard for established rules.
“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,” he said.
The ADC presidential candidate also linked the delay in assenting to the audit bill with recent controversies surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), arguing that the situation highlighted the importance of strong institutional safeguards.
Atiku said the PFIPC controversy, regardless of the outcome of ongoing investigations, showed the dangers of weak accountability structures and declining public confidence in government.
“Whatever conclusions ongoing investigations or official processes may ultimately reach, the controversy exposed the dangers that arise when institutional safeguards are weak, official narratives conflict and public confidence in governance is allowed to deteriorate,” he added.
The development comes amid ongoing criticism of the Tinubu administration following claims of unaccounted expenditure raised in an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report and allegations surrounding the purported PFIPC. It also follows recent calls by opposition figures, including Peter Obi, urging President Tinubu to resign over what they described as failures in governance, economic hardship and insecurity.
The Presidency has, however, continued to defend its policies and actions while dismissing several allegations against the administration.
