Tinubu Rejects Bill To Establish Federal University Of Education in Adamawa, Give Reasons

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has withheld approval for the bill seeking to establish the Federal University of Education in Numan, Adamawa State.

In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajuddeen, and read by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu during Tuesday’s plenary session, Tinubu outlined his reasons for rejecting the bill.

One of the key concerns raised was Section 22 of the bill, which grants authority over land disposal to the state governor instead of the President, contrary to legal provisions governing federal institutions.

Additionally, Tinubu pointed out a legislative oversight in Section 25(b), where the bill failed to specify the institution’s authority to award degrees.

The House had initially passed the bill last year and submitted it for presidential assent, but with these concerns raised, further revisions may be necessary before reconsideration.

Quoting from the letter, Tinubu stated: “Pursuant to Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I hereby convey to the House of Representatives my decision taken on December 23, 2024, to decline presidential assent to the Federal University of Education, Numan Establishment Bill 2024 recently passed by the National Assembly.

“I am declining assent to the bill as Section 22 of the bill confers the authority to the disposal of the land of the university on the governor and not the President as it ought to be in the case of land belonging to the Federal Government.”

However, at a stakeholders’ forum in Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Senator Binos Yaroe clarified that Tinubu had not outrightly rejected the bill but had only pointed out clerical errors requiring correction.

“The President pointed out certain errors in the bill that needed to comply with the constitution. For instance, we mistakenly assigned the power to grant land authority to the governor instead of the President, who is the rightful visitor for the institution. We will rectify this error by replacing the governor with the president in the bill,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives adjourned plenary until Wednesday, February 5, 2025, in honour of the late Deputy Whip, Adewunmi Onanuga, who passed away on January 15 at the age of 59.

Onanuga, who represented Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency in Ogun State, also served as Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs in the 9th Assembly.