The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has issued a stern challenge to President Bola Tinubu, demanding that he either act on the Federal Audit Service Bill to uphold the rule of law or resign from office immediately.
In a scathing statement released on Friday, July 10, 2026, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the president of showing deep indifference toward constitutional discipline and institutional accountability.
Atiku expressed deep concern over President Tinubu’s prolonged delay in concluding action on the bill, months after it was passed and transmitted to the executive by the National Assembly. Citing Section 58(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Atiku reminded the administration of the strict statutory timelines governing legislative assent.
The section mandates that “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,” Atiku stated. “The framers of our Constitution never envisaged a President who would simply sit on legislation indefinitely while governance drifts without certainty or accountability.”
Reports tracking the controversy indicate that the ADC candidate has placed a strict seven-day ultimatum on the administration to either sign the bill into law or vacate office.
According to the ADC flagbearer, the Federal Audit Service Bill was specifically designed to modernize Nigeria’s financial audit architecture, reinforce the independence of the Auditor-General, and improve legislative oversight of public expenditure.
Atiku warned that delaying such critical transparency reforms signals dangerous institutional neglect, linking the delay to recent structural anomalies under the current administration including a high-profile controversy surrounding a ₦1.3 billion budgetary allocation to a allegedly phantom government agency, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
“Every major scandal begins with a smaller act of institutional neglect,” Atiku added. “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.”
As of Friday afternoon, the Presidency has yet to issue an official response to the ADC candidate’s ultimatum.
