President Bola Tinubu has refused to sign the Federal University of Education Numan, Adamawa State (Establishment) Bill, 2024, into law, citing key constitutional and technical concerns.
In a letter presented to the Senate by its President, Godswill Akpabio, during a plenary session, Tinubu detailed the reasons behind his decision, which he made on December 23, 2024.
The President highlighted concerns over Section 22 of the bill, which grants authority to the governor of Adamawa State to dispose of land belonging to the federal institution.
Tinubu argued that such powers should rest with the President in matters related to federal government property, including those of federal universities.
Additionally, Tinubu pointed out a typographical error in the bill, where the word “statut” was mistakenly written as “status.”
Referring to Section 58(4) of the Constitution, Tinubu justified withholding his assent.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Binos Yaroe (PDP, Adamawa South), had been recently passed by the National Assembly.
The decision marks a setback for the establishment of the Federal University of Education in Numan, Adamawa State.