Atiku noted that the bill is designed to modernise Nigeria’s audit architecture, strengthen the independence of the auditor-general and improve oversight of public expenditure.
By Kehinde Okeowo
African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has urged President Bola Tinubu to either relinquish his seat or sign the country’s Federal Audit Service Bill.
The former Vice President of Nigeria made the call on Friday via a statement issued by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu.
His demand comes amid controversies surrounding the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revealing N8.8 trillion unaccounted expenditure by the Tinubu government and the PFIPC scandal.
Atiku, in the statement, expressed concerns over Tinubu’s continued delay to conclude action on the Federal Audit Service Bill months after it was transmitted by the National Assembly.
He described the delay as yet another example of an administration that appears increasingly indifferent to constitutional discipline, institutional accountability and the rule of law.
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Atiku reminded the President that Section 58(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), provides the following: “Where a bill is presented to the President for assent, he shall within thirty days thereof, signify that he assents or that he withholds assent.’
“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,” he said.
Atiku noted that the bill is designed to modernise Nigeria’s audit architecture, strengthen the independence of the auditor-general and improve oversight of public expenditure.
He went on to add that withholding assent to the legislation sends the wrong signal at a time when Nigerians are demanding stronger institutions and greater accountability in public finance.
The statement added: “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.
“That is why the recent controversy surrounding the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) should not be viewed merely as an isolated episode. 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.”
