By: Sonaike Peter
Claim:
The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, planned to rename Nigeria to “United States of Nigeria”, as well as abolishing the Nigerian Sharia Law.
Verdict: .
The claim is false. There is no evidence or an official statement from the office of the presidency substantiating the claim.
Full text:
On Thursday, May 21, 2026, a claim alleging that the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, plans to rename Nigeria to “United States of Nigeria” and abolish the Nigerian Sharia Law, a constitutional law which serves as a guide to the conduct of Nigerians residing in some of the Northern parts of the country, reportedly went viral.
Cable Newspaper learnt that the claim first surfaced in 2025 on several social media platforms.
However, in an official statement signed on Thursday, May 21, 2025, the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, through his Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the claim, describing it as false.
“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,” Bayo Onanuga wrote.
“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.”
“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,” he added.
Bayo Onanuga further urged Nigerians to refrain from spreading fake news.
Verification:
The claim that the Nigerian President planned to rename Nigeria and abolish the Nigerian Sharia Law is false and misleading. An official statement from the Presidency has debunked the viral claim, describing it as false.
Conclusion:
The claim that the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, nursed the plan to rename Nigeria and abolish its Sharia Law is false. As reported by credible media outlets in the country, the Presidency has distanced itself from the claim, urging Nigerians to disregard it.
