Old national anthem: Keyamo gives Dickson 48 hours to clarify NDC’s position

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has given National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Senator Seriake Dickson, 48 hours to clarify whether the party endorses Nigeria's former national anthem. Keyamo, who described the national anthem as a symbol representing the country's history, values, and sovereignty, argued that singing a different anthem could pave the way for secession.

He challenged Dickson, his former classmate and friend, to make a statement within the given time frame. This demand came after attendees at an NDC town hall meeting in Lagos sang the former national anthem, "Arise, O Compatriots," instead of the current anthem, "Nigeria, We Hail Thee." The controversy arose following the Federal Government's decision in May 2024 to reinstate "Nigeria, We Hail Thee" as the national anthem, replacing the previous anthem, "Arise, O Compatriots," which had been in use since 1978.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.