Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani has asserted that the relocation of the federal capital from Abuja to Lagos cannot be executed by Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu unilaterally.
Sani emphasised that such a significant move would require a constitutional amendment rather than being at the discretion of Tinubu or any particular group.
The former lawmaker made this revealation on Thursday through his official X handle. He urged Senators to address the matter intelligently during plenary sessions.
Sani highlighted the constitutional provision designating Abuja as the Federal Capital of Nigeria, emphasising that changing this status necessitates a constitutional amendment, a process known for its complexity and controversy.
He explicitly stated that Tinubu does not possess the authority to unilaterally alter the capital to Lagos.
The former lawmaker also pointed out instances where federal agencies are headquartered outside the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), citing examples such as NECO in Minna, NBTE in Kaduna, and NDDC in Port Harcourt.
Sani articulated, “Abuja’s status as the Federal Capital of Nigeria is a strong constitutional provision that no individual or group including Tinubu can change it. The status of Abuja can only change if there is a constitutional amendment to that effect and the cumbersome and controversial process of changing or altering the constitution is well known.
“Tinubu cannot change the capital of Nigeria to Lagos, and I believe he will not. But we should remind ourselves that many federal establishments are not headquartered in the FCT, for example; NECO Hq is in Minna, NBTE is in Kaduna, and NDDC is in PH. Nigerian Railway HQ is still in Ebute meta, Lagos.
“Some of the HQ of Federal agencies were deliberately cited outside Abuja because of the interest of those who were in power in the past, and some of the Agencies are still outside Abuja because their Abuja Headquarters building is yet to be built.
“However, people have the right to express their opinion including raising issues when they feel suspicious of any move. That is democracy. I want to see Senators and Reps you elected stand up on the floor of their chambers and speak intelligently on matters like this to set the record straight and calm the nerves,” he concluded.