President Muhammadu Buhari recently declined assent to 5 Bills transmitted by the National Assembly. They are the Nigerian Film Commission Bill, 2018, the Immigration Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018, Climate Change Bill, 2018, Chartered Institute of Pension Practitioners of Nigeria Bill and the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, 2018.
The President in a letter read at the Senate plenary on 20th March 2018 adduced reasons for refusing assent on the Bills in line with section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). According to the President, an amendment to the Immigration Act could impact on his Executive Order relating to the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria. He also questioned the Climate Change Bill, 2018 over its inelegant drafting and its duplication of responsibilities currently held by the Ministry of Environment.
The President was also of the view that the objectives proposed by the Nigerian Film Commission Bill, 2018 and the Chartered Institute of Pension Practitioners of Nigeria was already being served by existing legislation. He also declined assent to the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, 2018 on the grounds that it covered too many technical subjects that were already addressed in other Bills before the National Assembly.