On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu signed the bill for the reintroduction of the old national anthem.
The president’s action came a few hours after the senate
passed the bill during a public hearing.
Tinubu assented to the bill despite calls from Lateef
Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, that
the decision to change the country’s national anthem should be subjected to an
extensive process.
The reintroduced national anthem is themed ‘Nigeria, We Hail
Thee’. The version used since 1978 is titled ‘Arise, O Compatriots’.
Since the president assented to the bill, some Nigerians
have expressed reservations about the old national anthem and the rationale
behind its reintroduction.
However, a flashback revealed that Tinubu always wanted the
old national anthem to make a return.
In an interview granted during the celebration of Nigeria’s
Independence Day in 2022, Tinubu revealed his preference for the old anthem
over the current version.
He said the old anthem “described us much better” and added
that “if I had my way, I would bring back our first national anthem”.
“We must guard our democracy jealously because we are one
Nigeria. And we should be proud of our past,” Tinubu had said.
“In fact, if I had my way, I would bring back our first
national anthem. That described us much better. I don’t know why we changed it.
[The anthem] is about service, diversity, and commitment to value our
nation-building.”
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