Tinubu Cannot Abolish Sharia, It’s A Constitutional Matter — Abati

A former presidential spokesperson and Arise News Channel breakfast show anchor, Reuben Abati, has stated that President Bola Tinubu did not have the authority to abolish Sharia law in Nigeria.

His comments followed reports that a recommendation from a United States delegation urged the Nigerian government to eliminate Sharia law, a development that has sparked claims in some quarters that Washington was attempting to dictate to Abuja.

Speaking on ‘The Morning Show’ segment of ‘What Is Trending’ on Tuesday, Abati cautioned against what he described as a misrepresentation of the situation, urging that the issue be viewed within the proper framework.

“America is not dictating to Nigeria. That has not happened. We cannot say America is violating our sovereignty that has not happened,” he said.

Providing background, Abati explained that on October 31, 2025, President Donald Trump directed Riley Moore and the relevant congressional committees on appropriation and foreign relations to investigate allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria.

“What has happened is that on October 31, 2025, President Donald Trump directed Riley Moore, and the committee on appropriation and foreign relations to go and investigate the alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria.

“Now those congressional committees had their bipartisan trips. Trips were made to Nigeria. The Nigerian leaders met with the Americans, and all of that and Riley Moore have been mandated to submit a report to President Trump.

“What they have now done is that Riley Moore, leading the investigation committee, has now, with the committee on appropriation and foreign affairs, submitted a report to President Trump in the White House.

“The United States has not adopted that report. The government of Donald Trump has not made any pronouncement on that report. The Nigerian government has also not responded to it.

“This is the opinion of the investigative team, and what happens hereafter is when we will be able to make definitive statements.”

Addressing the recommendation concerning Sharia law, Abati stressed that the matter falls within Nigeria’s constitutional framework.

“Now the Sharia is going to be a constitutional matter, the process of how it came about has been well articulated by Matthew Hassan Kukah, now a Bishop, in his book, ‘Religion, Politics and Power in Northern Nigeria’.

“Now, the decision when the 1979 constitution was being formulated was that it will be a personal orthodoxy. Sharia is supposed to apply to persons who submit themselves to it.

“The abuse is the problem. So nobody can say the President can unilaterally abolish Sharia. He cannot do that.

“If it is a constitutional matter, it will have to go through the Constitution.”