Old anthem row: Keyamo gives Dickson 48 hours to declare NDC’s position
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has challenged Senator Seriake Dickson, leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), to publicly clarify whether the party endorses the singing of an alternative anthem, warning that such an action could signal support for secession.
Keyamo said Dickson has 48 hours to clarify whether the party officially endorses Nigeria’s former national anthem, warning that such a position could amount to support for secession.
Keyamo’s challenge followed a controversy at an NDC town hall meeting in Oregun, Lagos, on Thursday, where the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and some supporters sang the former national anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots”, instead of the current anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee”.
The incident sparked criticism from government officials and political figures, including Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who accused Obi of disrespecting Nigeria’s national symbols.
Wike questioned Obi’s commitment to national unity, alleging that the former Anambra governor refused to stand when the current anthem was being performed but rose to sing the former version.
The NDC, however, defended Obi, saying the rendition of the old anthem was spontaneous and not planned by the party.
The party’s National Campaign Council spokesperson, Dr Chiogo Ikokwu, described Wike’s criticism as hypocritical, while the party’s Lagos governorship candidate, Funso Doherty, explained that the singing was an impromptu reaction by attendees in an emotional atmosphere.
Doherty also maintained that the current national anthem was subsequently performed at the gathering and that Nigeria had only one officially recognised anthem.
Reacting to the controversy in a post on his X account on Saturday, Keyamo described the national anthem as a symbol of Nigeria’s history, values and sovereignty, arguing that it was meant to unite citizens.
“A National Anthem is one of a country’s national symbols. It represents a country’s history, values and SOVEREIGNTY. It is meant to UNITE citizens,” he wrote.
The minister warned that deliberately singing an alternative anthem in defiance of the one prescribed by law could be an indication of secessionist intentions.
“When a group of people decide to defy it and sing something different from what others are singing as prescribed by law, that group is preparing grounds to break away from the country. It is one of the ingredients of SECESSION,” he said.
Keyamo further argued that if the leader of such a group endorsed the action, it would amount to an official declaration of a secessionist movement.
“And once the leader of such a group endorses the action, it means the group is then OFFICIALLY a secessionist movement,” Keyamo added.
Turning directly to Dickson, whom he described as his former classmate and friend, Keyamo demanded that the former Bayelsa governor clarify whether the NDC had formally adopted the former anthem as its own national symbol.
“I AM THEREFORE OFFICIALLY CALLING ON the original ‘COUNTRYMAN’, my CLASSMATE, my friend and a man of considerable courage from our school days, SENATOR SERIAKE DICKSON, the official leader of the NDC, to within 48 hours SPEAK UP as to whether the NDC officially endorses a proscribed anthem as its own NATIONAL SYMBOL. The world is waiting,” he wrote.
Nigeria’s former anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots”, was replaced in May 2024 when President Bola Tinubu signed legislation restoring “Nigeria, We Hail Thee”, which was first adopted at independence in 1960 and used until 1978.