President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has refused to sign the Federal University of Education, Numan (Establishment) Bill, 2024, citing legal inconsistencies and typographical errors.
In a letter dated January 10, 2025, and read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas during Tuesday’s plenary, Tinubu outlined four key reasons for rejecting the bill.
One major concern was Section 22, which erroneously granted state governors the authority to approve the disposal of university land, a power that should rest with the President, given the institution’s federal status.
Additionally, the President pointed out several typographical mistakes, including the misspelling of “statutes” as “statues,” the omission of the preposition “of” in a critical clause, and the incorrect spelling of “one-third” as “on-third.”
“In line with Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I hereby notify the House of Representatives of my decision, taken on December 23, 2024, to withhold assent to the Federal University of Education, Numan (Establishment) Bill, 2024,” Tinubu stated.
He urged lawmakers to correct the identified errors to ensure the bill meets legal and linguistic standards before reconsideration.
