21/05/2026
TINUBU MOVES TO REWRITE NIGERIA: TO RENAME COUNTRY “UNITED STATES OF NIGERIA”, END SHARIA CRIMINAL LAW, AND TRANSFER MAJOR POWERS FROM ABUJA TO THE STATES — PRESIDENCY SOURCE
ABUJA — Nigeria is on the brink of a constitutional explosion as a senior Presidency insider exclusively confirmed to Insta Bullets News that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is finalising a historic amendment that would rename the nation the United States of Nigeria (USN), abolish Sharia criminal law across the northern states, and shift core federal powers directly to state governments for the first time since 1966. The insider described the document — internally code-named Project True Federation — as the most radical redesign of Nigeria’s political structure since independence, drafted under Tinubu’s direct supervision and expected to hit the National Assembly by December 15.
According to the source, Tinubu insisted that Nigeria must end the “dual-country contradiction” created by operating a secular constitution alongside full Sharia penal systems in 12 states. The proposed Section 10A bans all criminal prosecutions under religious law, restricting Sharia courts strictly to civil, marital, inheritance, and customary matters. Hisbah corps across several northern states will be dissolved, and all enforcement powers will be moved under constitutional policing standards. At the same time, the bill restructures the federation by shifting control of policing, prisons, minerals, railways, electricity, and VAT collection from the Federal Government to the 36 states — effectively dismantling the unitary architecture imposed by military rule.
The name change to United States of Nigeria, the insider said, is Tinubu’s attempt to “signal a true federation where states are the new centres of authority, not distant appendages of Abuja.” States would retain 50 percent of all revenues generated within their borders, receive another 20 percent from a federal pool, and contribute 30 percent to national administration — a reversal of the current flow of power and resources. Governors would be empowered to establish state police, operate independent mineral licensing (excluding crude oil taxation), run internal rail systems, and negotiate power distribution frameworks.
Backlash from the North erupted instantly after the leak. In an emergency meeting in Kano, northern governors condemned the proposal as “an audacious attempt to erase Islamic identity and weaken northern collective strength.” Sokoto Governor Ahmad Aliyu said northern lawmakers “will bury the bill before it reaches first reading,” describing the Sharia restriction as “an attack on the soul of the North.” Influential groups echoed the outrage. The Supreme Council for Sharia warned that the North “cannot and will not accept a Nigeria where Sharia criminal justice is abolished,” while MURIC escalated tensions by calling for mass mobilisation, saying the region faces “a historic secular invasion.”
Christian blocs viewed the reforms with cautious approval. The Christian Association of Nigeria described the draft as “a constitutional correction long overdue,” while warning that the new name could “create cultural confusion.” Afenifere declared it “the first real crack in the unitary wall,” while Ohanaeze Ndigbo urged Tinubu to follow restructuring with a deeper discussion on fairness in security appointments and federal representation.
Opposition parties seized on the political turbulence. Atiku Abubakar accused Tinubu of “gambling with Nigeria’s fragile balance,” while Peter Obi warned that restructuring imposed without broad consensus could “ignite new centres of conflict.” PDP governors began consultations late Sunday, with one describing the situation as “a political earthquake with no evacuation route.”
The Presidency maintained deliberate silence. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga declined to confirm or deny the document’s existence, while Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi avoided journalists after Sunday’s service in Abuja. Multiple high-level sources, however, confirmed that Tinubu held separate late-night meetings with the Sultan of Sokoto and CAN leadership in an effort to avoid a north-south political collision before the draft is transmitted.
Constitutional scholars say the proposal is both legally valid and politically combustible. Prof. Itse Sagay described it as “a complete demolition and rebuilding of the federation,” while SANs warned that securing approval from 24 state assemblies will require levels of national consensus Nigeria has not achieved in decades. With northern states controlling a large bloc of legislators, analysts say the amendment could either usher in a genuine federal rebirth or trigger an unprecedented regional standoff.
Online reactions intensified overnight. jumped to 4.1 million posts by dawn, with protests already emerging in Kano and Bauchi and southern groups calling for “no retreat” on full restructuring. Nigeria now stands at a turning point that will determine the shape — or survival — of the republic.
Tinubu’s draft, if transmitted on December 15 and approved, could transform Nigeria into a fully state-driven federation by May 29, 2026. If rejected, the country could confront its deepest constitutional crisis in a generation. Insta Bullets News continues to monitor every unfolding detail of this political storm.
