Tinubu Denies Plans to Change Nigeria’s Name or Abolish Sharia Law, Says Viral Story is Fake
By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
The Presidency has dismissed a viral social media report claiming that President Bola Tinubu is planning to push through constitutional amendments to rename Nigeria as the “United States of Nigeria” and abolish Sharia law in the northern region.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the story as entirely false and part of a “dubious plot” by desperate politicians to create disaffection and stir political tension ahead of the general elections scheduled for January 2026.
The fake story, which cited anonymous sources, alleged that President Tinubu intended to send a bill code-named “Project True Federation” to the National Assembly by December 15, just weeks before the elections. It also claimed the bill would include other far-reaching constitutional changes.
Onanuga urged Nigerians to completely ignore the report, calling its purveyors “agents of destabilisation and merchants of disorder.”
“President Tinubu has no plan whatsoever to send any bill code-named Project True Federation to the National Assembly by December 15,” the statement read in part.
The presidential aide explained that constitutional amendments under Nigerian law are a serious legislative process requiring scrutiny, oversight, and robust debate. Any change to the constitution is not at the whim of the President or the National Assembly but requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the National Assembly and the concurrence of at least 24 state Houses of Assembly.
Onanuga stressed that President Tinubu remains focused on entrenching and deepening the economic reforms his administration has embarked upon, as well as delivering tangible dividends to Nigerians.
He warned citizens to be wary of fake and divisive reports, especially as political campaigns gather momentum ahead of the January 2026 general elections.