President Tinubu Declines Assent to Adamawa University Bill 2024

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declined assent to the Federal University of Education Numan, Adamawa State (Establishment) Bill, 2024.

The president’s rejection of the bill was contained in a letter transmitted to the House of Representatives and read on the floor of the House by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu.

In the letter, President Tinubu raised concerns over Section 22 of the bill, which grants the authority to dispose of land belonging to the federal institution to the Adamawa State Governor, stressing that the President has the authority on issues relating to federal government-owned property, especially federal-owned universities.

“Pursuant to section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I hereby convey to the House of Representatives my decision taken on December 23, 2024, to decline presidential assent to the Federal University of Education, Numan Establishment Bill 2024 recently passed by the National Assembly,” the letter read.

Also Read: Bill To Establish Federal University Of Education, Numan Passes Second Reading

The President cited reasons for withholding assent to the bill:

“I am declining assent to the Bill due to the following;

1. Section 22 of the Bill accords the authority to consent to the disposal of land to the Governor and not the President as ought to be the case in respect of land belonging to a Federal Government entity (in the case of Universities);
2. The word “statutes” is spelled as “statues” in items 13 and 15 under arrangement of sections;
3. The preposition “of” is omitted between the word “award” and “degree” in section 25(4)(b), and
4. The phrase “one-third” is spelled as “on-third” in article 4(3) of the third schedule to the Bill.”

Recall that the bill sponsored by the lawmaker representing Adamawa South Senatorial District, Binos Yaroe, was passed by the National Assembly in 2024 and transmitted to the President for assent.

Meanwhile, the House adjourned plenary till Wednesday, February 5, 2025, in honour of the late Deputy Whip, Adewunmi Onanuga, who died on January 15.

Aged 59, Onanuga represented Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency, Ogun State and was the Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, in the 9th Assembly.