‘It’s Buhari’s Legacy’ — Presidency Tackles Atiku On Startup Bill

The presidency says the Startup Bill recently passed by the national assembly will be the legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari when he signs it into law.

Gatekeepers News reports that the presidency said this in reaction to a tweet by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

Earlier, the national assembly passed the legislation which seeks to create a conducive environment for technological startups to thrive in the country.

On Monday, Atiku tweeted asking the president to sign the bill into law.

Atiku tweeted, “I commend the house and senate for their bipartisan efforts in passing the Nigeria startup bill, and I call upon the president to sign the bill into law.

“The Nigerian start-up space is one of the largest in Africa, and Nigeria has become a key destination on our continent for Tech talent, with the ICT sub-sector contributing approximately 18.44% of Nigeria’s GDP as of the end of Q2 in 2022.”

But the presidency said Buhari can only sign a bill that has been transmitted to him by the national assembly — suggesting that the legislation was not before him.

“The president can only sign the bill AFTER it has been transmitted from the national assembly,” the presidency tweeted.

“It is worth noting that #NigeriaStartupBill is an executive bill, championed by the presidency and ministry of communications and, when assented to, will be one of President Buhari’s major legacies.”