{
  "id": 20106744,
  "title": "NDC, Keyamo in War of Words over Singing of Old National Anthem at Lagos Meeting",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/ndc-keyamo-in-war-of-words-over-singing-of-old-national-anthem-at",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-15T03:16:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/11/15/ndc-keyamo-in-war-of-words-over-singing-of-old-national-anthem-at-lagos-meeting/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, traded pointed words over the presidential candidate of the opposition party, Peter Obi, and his supporters' decision to sing the old national anthem at a recent town hall meeting in Lagos. Keyamo had alleged on Twitter that Obi and his party members' actions might indicate plans for secession. However, the NDC swiftly refuted these claims, describing them as unfounded and politically motivated. The opposition party accused Keyamo of selective amnesia, stating that Obi did not instruct anyone not to sing the national anthem and that the incident was a spontaneous expression of defiance against the APC administration's poor governance. The NDC also pointed out that despite some supporters singing the old anthem, others continued to recite the current national anthem, contradicting the notion that the event was organized to disrespect the national symbol. The opposition party questioned the significance of the controversy and accused Keyamo and the APC of diverting public attention from the alleged attack on their supporters and the country's political and economic challenges. The NDC emphasized Obi's commitment to national unity, democratic values, and peaceful political engagement, while accusing the ruling party of using the controversy to distract Nigerians from pressing national concerns.",
  "summary": "•Minister accuses Obi of planning secession • Ex-Anambra gov didn’t stop new National Anthem, NDC fights back . Accuses APC of sponsoring political attacks Chinedu Eze in Lagos and Sunday",
  "key_points": [
    "NDC and Festus Keyamo exchange heated words over Obi's anthem singing.",
    "Keyamo claims Obi's actions suggest secession plans, NDC calls them baseless.",
    "NDC argues Obi didn't stop anthem singing, it was spontaneous defiance."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}