Mild Drama in Senate as President Tinubu Sings Old National Anthem, Video Goes Viral

• While many Nigerians have expressed outrage over the restoration of the old national anthem, President Bola Tinubu introduced a sweet side to the development
• The president got many talking as he sang the old national anthem word for word alongside lawmakers at the Red Chamber, and the video has generated reactions in the polity
• Legit.ng reports that President Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 on Wednesday, May 29. The bill restores the old national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” and discards the latest one, “Arise, O Compatriots”

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led a joint sitting of the National Assembly on Wednesday, May 29, as Nigeria returned to the old National Anthem.

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Senate President Godswill Akpabio had announced before the joint sitting that a return to the old national anthem would begin from today, following President Tinubu’s assent to the bill to that effect.

Also, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, who presided over the sitting along with Akpabio, told members to Google the new anthem so they could recite it correctly, PremiumTimes reported.

According to Akpabio, those who are below 50 years may not know more about the old national anthem.

“Those who are over 59 years old will know the wordings,” he added.

Video of Tinubu singing the anthem surfaced online

Interestingly, President Bola Tinubu joined the lawmakers and sang the old national anthem word for word. This is after he had discarded the latest one “Arise, O Compatriots.”

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Watch the video below as Tinubu sings the "new anthem". The video was shared on Facebook by NTA.

Nigerians react as Tinubu sings old anthem

Mixed reactions have trailed the development on Facebook. Legit.ng captured some of their opinion below:

Mhizter Fabroq stated:

"The National Anthem being changed today is more melodious and represents where we should be by now."

Deacon Lekan Alade disclosed that:

"People imagine the faces of the leaders destroying Nigeria shame too painful."

Olatunde Muideen Abolore Oladeni said:

"Majority of them are just murmuring. What is in their mind is how would this turn to money to share in the form of national cake at the expense of the overwhelming Nigerian masses. The Gbatueyo leader."

Ex-minister Ezekwesili dares Tinubu, rejects new national anthem

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the former minister of education, Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili, insisted that she will not revert to the old national anthem.

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Ezekwesili made this disclosure in a post shared on her X handle on Wednesday.

Buttressing her point, the former minister noted that no one can suppress her right to dissent from what she described as an “obnoxious law” repugnant to all who are of good conscience in Nigeria.

Source: Legit.ng