No-Go For NDLEA Bill! Tinubu Raises Red Flags On Accountability, Rights Violations

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has withheld his assent to the 2025 Amendment Bill of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rejected the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Amendment Bill 2025, citing concerns over transparency and constitutional compliance.

The bill, which had already passed through the National Assembly, proposed allowing the NDLEA to retain a portion of the funds and assets recovered during anti-drug operations. However, in a formal letter to the Senate during plenary, Tinubu deemed this provision inconsistent with established legal procedures for handling confiscated and forfeited assets.

Invoking Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Tinubu argued that the amendment contradicts current laws requiring all proceeds of crime to be deposited into the Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account—a centralized account created to ensure accountability.

He emphasized that any disbursement from the account must be approved by the President and cleared by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the appropriate national coordinating body.

“There is no compelling reason to alter the current system, which ensures transparency through the involvement of both executive and legislative oversight,” Tinubu stated in his letter.

His decision now leaves the National Assembly with two options: revise the bill to address the president’s objections or attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers.