By Yinka Giwa
The Presidency on Thursday dismissed as fake and politically motivated a viral report alleging that President Bola Tinubu was planning sweeping constitutional amendments to rename Nigeria the “United States of Nigeria” and abolish Sharia Law in the North.
In a strongly worded statement, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga accused unnamed political actors of sponsoring the report to inflame tensions, destabilise the country and heat up the polity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to Onanuga, the publication, which relied on anonymous sources, was deliberately crafted to generate public disaffection and provoke political unrest at a sensitive period in the nation’s democratic journey.
He urged Nigerians to ignore the claims entirely, describing the promoters of the story as agents of chaos bent on spreading misinformation and disorder.
The Presidency also denied reports that President Tinubu intended to forward a controversial constitutional amendment bill allegedly code-named “Project True Federation” to the National Assembly before the elections.
Onanuga stressed that constitutional amendment procedures in Nigeria are clearly defined by law and cannot be executed unilaterally by either the President or the National Assembly.
He explained that any alteration to the constitution would require rigorous legislative scrutiny, extensive debate and the approval of at least two-thirds of members of both chambers of the National Assembly, in addition to endorsement by no fewer than 24 state Houses of Assembly.
The presidential aide maintained that President Tinubu remains focused on implementing his administration’s economic reforms and policies aimed at improving the lives of Nigerians.
He further warned citizens to be wary of divisive fake news and propaganda, cautioning that misinformation campaigns were likely to intensify as political activities gather momentum ahead of the January 2027 elections.