President Tinubu has rejected the NDLEA Act amendment bill citing departure from the current legal framework
President Bola Tinubu has withheld assent to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) amendment Bill 2025.
In a communication read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas during plenary on Thursday, the president cited constitutional grounds for his decision, referencing section 58, subsection 4 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The president explained that the primary reason for withholding assent is that the NDLEA proposed amendment bill seeks power to retain a portion of the proceeds from drug-related crimes, a departure from the current legal framework.
“Currently all proceeds of crime must be paid into the confiscated and forfeited properties accounts,” the president said, adding that any disbursement to relevant agencies involved in recoveries must be made by the president, and only with the approval of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.
President Tinubu emphasized that there is no compelling justification to alter the current process, which ensures transparency and accountability in the management of recovered assets.
This is the second amendment bill being rejected by the president this week. Earlier in the week, the president rejected National Assembly Library Trust Fund (establishment) amendment bill, 2025 citing constitutional, policy, and fiscal issues which he said were capable of disrupting existing governance systems and creating a problematic legal precedent.
