The Presidency has dismissed as false and misleading a viral report alleging that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu plans to amend the constitution to rename Nigeria 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 report as fake news fabricated by “desperate politicians” seeking to create tension and destabilise the country ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Mr Onanuga said the report, which relied on anonymous sources, was entirely baseless and should be disregarded by Nigerians.
“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 statement read.
According to him, those spreading the story were “agents of destabilisation and merchants of disorder” bent on creating political disaffection and heating up the polity before the elections.
The presidential aide also denied claims that the President intended to forward a bill allegedly code-named “Project True Federation” to the National Assembly before the polls.
“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,” he said.
Mr Onanuga stressed that constitutional amendments in Nigeria follow a rigorous legal process and cannot be carried out arbitrarily by either the President or the National Assembly.
He explained that any amendment to the constitution requires the support of two-thirds of members in both chambers of the National Assembly, as well as approval by at least 24 State Houses of Assembly.
The Presidency maintained that President Tinubu remains focused on implementing economic reforms and delivering democratic dividends to Nigerians rather than engaging in divisive constitutional debates.
“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,” the statement added.
The Presidency further urged Nigerians to be cautious of fake and divisive reports, warning that misinformation and politically motivated propaganda were likely to intensify as campaigns for the 2026 elections gather momentum.