President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday declined assent to five bills citing various reasons for his action.
The President’s action was contained in the executive communications he sent to the upper chamber and read by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at plenary.
The development came just as the red chamber passed three new bills at plenary on Wednesday.
The fresh bills expected to be forwarded to the President for assent are the National Fertiliser Quality (Control) Bill, the National Orientation Act (Amendments) Bill, and the Nigerian Council for Psychologists (Establishment) Bill.
The rejected legislations are the Nigeria Film Corporation Bill, Immigration (Amendment) Bill, Climate Change Bill, Chartered Institute of Pension Practitioners Bill and the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill.
Buhari said he rejected the Nigeria Film Corporation Bill because the provision of five per cent Value Added Tax was unnecessary as it was a duplication of the tax system.
The development has brought to 26, the number of bills so far passed by the 8th National Assembly but rejected by the President in the last four years.
Alarmed by the number of rejected bills, the Senate set up a committee to look into the matter and advise the upper chamber on what to do about it.
The report of the panel had yet to be considered by the red chamber.
Meanwhile, the Senate on Wednesday adjourned plenary until April 2 to enable its standing committees to work on the 2019 Appropriation Bill.
Senate President Bukola Saraki appealed to the various ministries and agencies of the Federal Government to promptly respond to committees’ invitations for the budget defence to enable the Senate to expedite action on the bill.
He, however, advised the committees not to go after the agencies to appear for budget defence.
Saraki said, “The relevant committees should swing into action and ensure that they conclude work on the budget within two weeks. The committee on appropriations should submit its report on April 2 so that we can pass the budget.
“Let me also add that the various committees should not run after or force any head of agency to appear. If they do not appear before the given time, adopt what was submitted by the President and submit your report.