ABUJA , Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The House of Representatives has debunked online reports claiming that an executive bill proposing to rename Nigeria as the “United States of Nigeria” is currently before the National Assembly.
In the past week, social media has been filled with allegations that President Bola Tinubu submitted a proposal to lawmakers to change the country’s name and abolish Shariah criminal law in the northern region.
The House has made it clear that no such bill exists.
Speaking to journalists during the presentation of the first set of prioritised constitutional amendment bills, House spokesperson and member of the Constitutional Review Committee, Akin Rotimi, firmly denied the claims.
The Ekiti lawmaker stated, “I can confirm that there is no such executive bill before the House. None whatsoever. And that is all I will say on that,” he said.
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He explained that what is actually before the parliament is a collection of harmonised constitutional amendment proposals jointly developed with the Senate.
“There are 44 bills that have been jointly harmonized by both chambers. Because we operate a bicameral legislature, we have been working closely with our counterparts in the Senate, led by Senator Jibrin Barau, to ensure alignment,” he said.
Rotimi also addressed rumours regarding the recent engagement between First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu and lawmakers at the Presidential Villa.
According to him, the discussion focused solely on the Reserved Seats for Women bill.
“I was at that event. The First Lady spoke extensively about the Reserved Seats Bill, which she is passionate about as a former lawmaker.
The Vice President, members of the Federal Executive Council, and other stakeholders were present to discuss that particular bill. Nothing about changing the country’s name was mentioned,” Rotimi stressed.
He further revealed that the Constitutional Review Committee initially received over 350 amendment proposals, which were later streamlined for clarity and effectiveness.
“We started with more than 350 bills. At different stages, we reduced them to about 80, then to around 60, and now we have slightly over 40 proposals moving to the next phase,” he said.