President Bola Tinubu on Thursday dismissed as false a viral report claiming that he plans to amend the Nigerian constitution to rename the country – the “United States of Nigeria” and abolish Sharia law in the North.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, the President said the circulating story—attributed to anonymous sources—was without basis.
“There is no truth to the viral fake story,” the statement read, adding that the claims were part of an effort by “desperate politicians” to sow discord and destabilize the country ahead of the general elections.
“Nigerians should ignore the viral story in its entirety because the purveyors of the fake news are agents of destabilisation and merchants of disorder,” Onanuga said in the statement.
“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.
“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,” he added.
President Tinubu according to the presidential spokesman 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 statement added.
