By Erewunmi Peace

A constitutional governance advocate, Mr. Uche Onoh, has reacted to recent comments by former Presidential media aide, Bashir Ahmad, who argued that Sharia law cannot be stopped in Nigeria. Ahmad had maintained that Sharia is rooted in the country’s legal structure and does not require approval from foreign governments.

In his response, Onoh emphasized that while Sharia operates within several northern states, its application remains subject to the supremacy of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He noted that any legal system in the country—including Sharia—must not violate constitutional guarantees such as fundamental human rights.

Onoh further argued that where Sharia legal provisions appear to conflict with constitutional protections, the Constitution prevails. This principle has been upheld in multiple legal interpretations and judicial outcomes across Nigeria.

Legal scholars affirm that Sharia in Nigeria is limited to personal and civil matters for Muslims in states that adopt it, and cannot be enforced on non-Muslims or used to override federal law.

Nigeria operates a dual legal structure—constitutional law at the national level and Islamic Sharia law in certain states of the North. The constitutional supremacy clause (Section 1) explicitly states that the Constitution is the nation’s highest legal authority.

While the debate continues over the scope of Sharia’s application, legal experts insist that the Nigerian Constitution remains the ultimate safeguard for equal rights and justice for all citizens, regardless of religion.