No plot to rename Nigeria, abolish Sharia – Presidency

The Presidency on Thursday dismissed as false a report claiming that President Bola Tinubu is planning constitutional amendments that would rename Nigeria the “United States of Nigeria” and abolish Sharia law in the northern region.

It said the report is a deliberate act of political sabotage designed to heat the polity ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, the Presidency said the report, which cited anonymous sources, was fabricated by what it called “desperate politicians” seeking to stir disaffection and trigger a political crisis in the country.

According to Onanuga, “The Presidency wishes to inform Nigerians and state clearly that there is no truth to the viral fake story claiming that President Bola Tinubu seeks to carry out constitutional amendments that will change Nigeria’s name to the United States of Nigeria and abolish Sharia Law in the Northern region, among other claims.”

The Presidency insisted that, contrary to the report, Tinubu was not planning to transmit a bill code-named “Project True Federation” to the National Assembly by December 15, 2026, weeks before the general election.

“President Tinubu has no plan whatsoever to send any bill code-named Project True Federation to the National Assembly by December 15, a few weeks before the general election,” the statement read.

The Presidency also cited the legal complexity involved in constitutional amendments, noting that the process is far more demanding than a presidential or legislative whim.

It said, “Under our laws, constitutional changes and amendments are serious business that require legislative scrutiny, oversight and serious debate.

“The process of amending the constitution is not at the President’s or the National Assembly’s whim.

“It is a task that requires a 2/3 majority in both chambers of the National Assembly and the concurrence of 24 state Houses of Assembly.”

Onanuga described the purveyors of the story as “agents of destabilisation and merchants of disorder” and warned that such fabrications would multiply as the country moves deeper into the election season.

It said, “Nigerians should ignore the viral story in its entirety because the purveyors of the fake news are agents of destabilisation and merchants of disorder.

“President Tinubu is focused on the arduous task of entrenching and deepening the economic reforms his administration has embarked upon. He is focused on delivering more tangible dividends to Nigerians.

“Nigerians should be wary of consuming fake and divisive reports, which will proliferate as the nation begins political campaigns, a prelude to the general elections in January 2027.”

The denial comes as the political temperature rises ahead of a 2027 general election cycle that has already been marked by the commencement of party primaries.