President Bola Tinubu has withheld his assent to a bill proposing an increase in the retirement age for civil servants in Nigeria’s National Assembly. The bill, which sought to raise the retirement age to 65 years or 40 years of service, whichever comes first, was turned down by the president without a specified reason.
Tinubu’s decision was conveyed in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s Senate session. The president commended the Senate for its diligence in drafting and passing the bill but stated that after careful consultation, he chose not to sign it.
The existing law mandates retirement at 60 years of age or after 35 years of service for civil servants. Despite initial rejection by the Senate in February after extensive debate, the bill was eventually passed following concurrence with a similar version from the House of Representatives.
“I have decided to withhold my assent to the bill,” Tinubu wrote, adding that he hoped his decision would be understood and accepted.
