US Threats: Tinubu's Govt Reacts to Demand for Sharia Law Abolition

• Special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, Daniel Bwala, has dismissed suggestions by a Nigerian-American academic that the African country should abolish Sharia
• Bwala said any attempt by a foreign country to instruct Nigeria on constitutional matters would amount to an attack on its sovereignty
• The presidential spokesperson maintained that even the recent military threat of President Donald Trump was inconsistent with international norms and the US convention

Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and governance in Nigeria.

FCT, Abuja - Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, has dismissed suggestions by Ebenezer Obadare and some United States (US) lawmakers that Nigeria should abolish Sharia law.

As reported by Vanguard, Bwala insisted that the US has no moral or legal authority to dictate constitutional changes to a sovereign nation.

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Presidency rejects US Sharia pressure

Speaking on Thursday, December 4, during an interview on Arise TV, Bwala said any attempt by a foreign country to instruct Nigeria on constitutional matters would amount to an assault on its sovereignty.

Responding to a question on whether the US government had the right to push Nigeria to disband Sharia law in northern states or amend its constitution, the presidential spokesperson said:

“They don’t have the locus. “In doing that, it’ll amount to infringing on the territorial integrity and territorial rights of a country."

Furthermore, the presidency stressed that Sharia law is not a federal policy but a state-level legal framework permitted under Nigeria’s federal structure, stressing that the African country’s constitution is not subject to foreign approval.

Legit.ng reports that the Sharia law is currently operational in 12 northern states.

Bwala said:

“Sharia law is not a national law. We also practice federal system of government, although their own is more advanced."

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He added:

“We differ with them on this idea of amending our constitution. Nigeria is a sovereign state, has never been colonised by America anywhere, and we are not Venezuela."

Legit.ng recalls that on Tuesday, December 2, US lawmakers were urged to pressure the Nigerian government to abolish Sharia law in northern states where they have been adopted and disband the religious-enforcement Hisbah commissions.

During a joint House briefing, Ebenezer Obadare, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, responded to US President Donald Trump’s October directive and Nigeria’s designation as a country of particular concern (CPC). He said the main drivers of violence, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and radicalised Fulani militants, exploit Sharia frameworks and Hisbah officials to impose "extremist ideology, enforce forced conversions, and operate with near-total impunity."

Obadare demanded that the US "must keep up the pressure.”

'FG to name terrorism financiers' - Bwala

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Legit.ng earlier reported that Bwala disclosed that the federal government will soon reveal the identities of individuals and networks responsible for financing terrorism in the country.

The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member stated that the Tinubu administration is already taking “far-reaching decisions” on national security, which will soon become clear to Nigerians.

He said the current administration is intensifying its efforts to counter the terrorists' threat and will soon expose those financing and enabling terrorist activities across the country.

Source: Legit.ng