The Presidency has dismissed reports circulating on social media alleging that President Bola Tinubu plans to rename Nigeria and abolish Sharia law in the northern part of the country.
The report, which first appeared online in 2025, claimed that Tinubu intended to seek a constitutional amendment to change Nigeria’s name to the “United States of Nigeria.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, described the report as false and accused unnamed politicians of attempting to create division ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to Onanuga, President Tinubu has no intention of forwarding any bill to the National Assembly by December 15 seeking to rename the country.
“The story, which cited anonymous sources, is part of the dubious plot by some desperate politicians to create disaffection in our country, stir up a political crisis, and heat the polity ahead of the general elections,” the statement read.
“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 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.
“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 2026.”
