BREAKING: Tinubu naming 5 institutions after himself in less than 2 years sparks debate about legality

Since his inauguration, five institutions have been named after President Bola Tinubu, sparking controversy. In this report, The ICIR examines whether it is legally permissible for a president to name institutions after himself.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>

From May 29, 2023, when President Bola Tinubu assumed office, to date, the number of institutions and edifices named after him has risen to five.

The naming of institutions after Tinubu has generated criticism from a wide range of Nigerians.

Among the institutions named after the president are:

• National Assembly Library and Resource Centre, which was inaugurated in May 2024;
• the Nigeria Immigration Service Technology Complex;
• the recently commissioned Bola Ahmed Tinubu Barracks.
• Others include the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Polytechnic, Gwarinpa, Abuja;
• and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, Minna, Niger State, formerly called the Abubakar Imam International Airport.

In addition to these five institutions, there is a proposal for the Bola Ahmed Tinubu University before the National Assembly.

The bill for the university was sponsored in 2024 by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and eight others. According to them, the establishment of the university is for the promotion of the learning of Nigerian languages.

Controversy 

The controversy surrounding renaming exercises is escalating, with many believing it’s a politically motivated move to consolidate power through symbolic actions.

A recent example is the renaming of Abubakar Imam International Airport in Minna to Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, which has raised eyebrows since it was only named after Imam in June 2023.

This has led some to question the timing and motivation behind such decisions, suggesting that it may be more about making a political statement than a genuine attempt to honour someone’s legacy.

Many Nigerians have taken to social media to criticise the naming of public institutions after the president.

For instance, the co-founder of BudgIT, a civil society organisation Olúṣeun Onígbindé, in a tweet posted in January, termed it an ‘abuse of norms’.

“In less than a year, four public institutions have been named after President Bola Tinubu. This abuse of norms is rooted in the sycophantic culture that has grown in recent times. The President should put a stop to this, as he’s signalling a culture that’s highly unacceptable,” he posted.

Another X user who goes by the name 𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐬 posted, “So Tinubu built a barracks with Nigeria’s money and named it after himself. Kim Jung Un dey learn work.”

An X user by the name of Miss Pearls in her post on the matter jokingly suggested that the president should name the country after himself.

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu Barracks Bola Ahmed Tinubu Innovation Complex Bola Ahmed Tinubu Polytechnic (approved, coming soon) Just rename Nigeria after yourself!”

Another X user, Olaudah Equiano®, says a leader with “an eye on posterity” won’t have the appetite for the vanity of naming projects after himself.

“A leader with an eye on posterity won’t have the appetite for the vanity of naming projects after himself. This is because true immortality will be bestowed by history, not monuments that can be renamed.

“Tinubu needs to submit himself to some clear-eyed, sober reflection. This preoccupation with self-glorification and immortalisation is a telltale sign,” he tweeted.

Action not illegal but morally wrong – Lawyers

The ICIR gathered that naming institutions after a sitting president, even if it’s not against the law, is a questionable practice that raises some serious moral and ethical red flags.

It’s seen as a form of extreme sycophancy and can create the appearance of bias or favouritism.

Many believe it is not right to honour a president who is still in office, as it can be perceived as a way to attract favour or gain influence.

But while many critics see this as a self-serving move that goes against democratic values, some lawyers contacted by The ICIR to speak on the matter say there is nothing legally wrong with the decision but faulted it on moral grounds.

A lawyer, Hassan Idris, said no law prevents people or him (Tinubu) from naming institutions after himself.

“On a legal ground, I am not aware of any law that prevents the president from naming a street after himself.

But perhaps morally or in practice or tradition, but I’m not aware of any law that prevents him from doing that,” Idris toldThe ICIR.

He said that naming a street or a monument after someone is a way for people to show appreciation for what that person has done.

He said it’s a form of recognition that comes over time for the sake of posterity when someone has made significant contributions.

He, however, faulted the army for naming the barracks after Tinubu. He opined that they would have waited for him to finish his tenure before doing it.

“Are they answerable to him or not? The army reports to him. So, we all know that they’re all doing that to please him; whoever does that, he’s doing that to please him.

“So the government should not encourage that. At least when he’s not in power, and then you are recognised by the military,” Idris said.

Another lawyer, Moshood Ibrahim, while speaking to The ICIR on the subject matter, said that based on law and not emotions, there’s no law prohibiting the president from naming government edifices after anybody, including himself, as this is just a ceremonial issue.

However, he said if the edifice is an institution created by law, it requires that the law that created the edifice must also be amended to reflect the change of name.

He said, “If, for example, the president wants to change the name of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, to his name or any other person’s name, the National Assembly must be consulted also to amend the establishing Act. This is to reflect the change of name as the law that created the university has also catered for the name the university will carry. Thus, any act of changing the name without equally editing/amending the law is null and void,” Ibrahim said.

In his view, Victor Opatola, also a lawyer, said, in the sense of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments Act, the army barracks, universities, that were named after the president cannot be classified as monuments. They can be said to be buildings and institutions.

Opatola added that there is no specific law in Nigeria that expressly prohibits naming a building or institution after the president or the president from naming buildings and institutions after himself.

He said, however, that many have objected to the morality of doing the same and some even termed it not acceptable because, “Your good work should speak for you after you leave office and those behind may decide to honour you as such.”

According to him, from a moral and ethical standpoint, it should not be encouraged for institutions and buildings to be named after a sitting president or a sitting president to name buildings and institutions after himself while still in office.

“If it is not discouraged, it will eventually lead to a naming frenzy where everybody in the office wants to immortalise himself by himself, which may suggest self-glorification or self-aggrandisement to some people,” Opatola stated.