Pinheiro backs Tinubu’s authority on oil revenue directive
Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) has stated that the President has constitutional power to amend existing laws to align with the Constitution. He explained that Section 315 of the 1999 Constitution grants the President authority to make such modifications. However, Pinheiro clarified that executive orders cannot override Acts of Parliament. The comments follow debate over Bola Tinubu’s Executive Order on oil revenue deductions.
What we know
- Kemi Pinheiro cited Section 315 of the 1999 Constitution, saying it allows the President to modify existing laws to fit constitutional requirements.
- He emphasized that while the President can issue executive orders, these cannot override Acts of the National Assembly.
- Pinheiro described executive orders as binding directives for administrative purposes but not as laws themselves.
- The statement comes amid controversy over Bola Tinubu’s Executive Order stopping revenue deductions by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
- Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, argued that the President’s action is rooted in the Constitution, not just the Petroleum Industry Act.
