Presidency Rubbishes Viral Claims of Tinubu Renaming Country ‘United States of Nigeria’ and Wiping Out Sharia Law; Blasts Politicians for Spreading Fake News

The Presidency has fired a heavy counter-punch at a viral internet rumor, declaring that President Bola Tinubu has absolutely no intention of renaming Nigeria or tampering with the legal status of Sharia law in the North. In an aggressive public brief issued today Thursday, May 21, 2026, Aso Rock slammed the report as a coordinated disinformation campaign engineered by opposition actors to fracture national unity.

The controversy erupted after a viral digital post, relying heavily on anonymous sources, claimed that the executive arm was putting the final touches on a sweeping constitutional manual code-named “Project True Federation.” According to the fake brief, the President was preparing to ship the bill to the National Assembly to officially change the country’s name to the “United States of Nigeria” and completely delete Sharia jurisprudence from the northern legal landscape.

Reacting swiftly to prevent a massive political crisis, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, told Nigerians to delete the text from their feeds immediately, labeling the purveyors “agents of destabilisation and merchants of disorder.” Onanuga asserted that the administration has no such bill in its portal and accused desperate politicians of trying to create severe regional disaffection and panic.

The Presidency further educated the public on the country’s legislative manual, reminding citizens that changing a foundational constitutional block is a massive legal business that cannot be done by executive orders or presidential whims. The administration noted that any real amendment requires a complex legislative dragnet involving an absolute two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, followed by a formal endorsement from at least 24 State Houses of Assembly across the country.

With political activities expected to intensify ahead of the next transition window, Aso Rock warned that the production of inflammatory fake news will likely hit an all-time high. Insisting that the President remains fully focused on executing his economic rescue program to stabilize the naira and lower the cost of living, the government urged the public to stay vigilant against divisive traps designed to split the country’s social fabric down regional lines.