President Bola Tinubu has declined to sign the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Bill, 2025 into law.

The President’s decision not to sign the bill passed by both chambers of the National Assembly was contained in a letter read in the Green Chamber on Thursday during plenary.

The President, citing Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), explained that the proposed law seeks to empower the NDLEA to retain a portion of the proceeds from drug-related crimes, a move he said contradicts existing financial regulations.

 He noted that under the current system, “All proceeds of crime are paid into the government’s Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account. Disbursements to any recovery agency, including the NDLEA, can only be made by presidential approval, subject to the consent of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.”

The President maintained there was no compelling reason to alter a process designed to uphold accountability through executive and legislative oversight.

Meanwhile, the President has signed  into law four tax reform bills on key areas of Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.

Tinubu signed the bills at a ceremony held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, at about 03:20pm local time.

The four bills include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.

They were passed by the National Assembly after months of consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.

“When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments,” Onanuga said.

The presidential assent to the bills was witnessed by the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senate Majority Leader, House Majority Leader, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and his House counterpart.

The Chairman of the Governors Forum, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State; the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; the Minister of Finance and Coordination Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, were also at the ceremony.