The Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has cancelled the ongoing opinion poll on the autonomy of local government councils, for the time being.

A statement signed by the Clerk of the Committee, Mr Innocent Mebiri, on Thursday in Abuja, said that the cancellation was necessitated by the need to preserve the integrity and credibility of the process.

According to Mebiri, there are attempts by "some unpatriotic elements" to manipulate the ongoing SMS and online opinion poll on key issues in the present constitution amendment project.

"There is currently a text message circulating in the country which claims that the Senate is voting on a Bill aimed at carving out large portions of land in certain parts of the country as grazing reserves for the Fulani.

"The text message therefore invites Nigerians to send "NO" response to 20052 which is the same short code being used by the Committee to poll the opinion of Nigerians on issues in the constitution review."

The committee condemned the action in its entirety and called on Nigerians to disregard the text.

"It is a devious propaganda to manoeuvre the outcome of the efforts of the committee to ensure popular participation by Nigerians in the constitution amendment project."

The Clerk emphasised that the 20052 short code was entirely dedicated by the Committee to poll the opinion of Nigerians on Constitution Amendment issues. He added that while the committe regretted the cancellation, a fresh opinion poll on the subject matter would come up in earnest.