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The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has given the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, 48 hours to state whether the party endorses the use of Nigeria’s former national anthem.
Keyamo made the demand in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, arguing that the national anthem represents the country’s history, values and sovereignty and serves as a symbol of national unity.
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.
When a group of people decide to defy it and sing something different from what others are signing as prescribed by law, that group is preparing grounds to break away from the country. It is one of the ingredients of SECESSION. And once the leader of such a group endorses the action, it means the group is then OFFICIALLY a secessionist movement.
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.
— Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK) (@fkeyamo) November 14, 2026
He maintained that deliberately adopting an alternative anthem to the one recognised by law could encourage separatist tendencies, particularly if the action received the endorsement of a political group’s leadership.
The minister argued that a group whose leader approved the use of an alternative national anthem would be formally associating itself with an attempt to establish a separate national identity.
“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 added, “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.
“And once the leader of such a group endorses the action, it means the group is then officially a secessionist movement.”
He therefore called on Dickson, whom he described as a former classmate and friend, to clarify whether the NDC had adopted the old 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 said.
Keyamo’s demand followed an incident at an NDC town hall meeting in the Oregun area of Lagos State on Thursday, where some participants sang the former national anthem, Arise, O Compatriots, instead of the current version, Nigeria, We Hail Thee.
The party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was among those seen singing the former anthem and making the two-finger gesture associated with the NDC.
However, the party’s Lagos State governorship candidate, Funso Doherty, later explained that the singing was an unplanned reaction by some attendees during an emotional moment at the gathering.
Doherty also pointed out that the current national anthem had been performed at the event, maintaining that Nigeria had only one officially recognised anthem.
The incident renewed debate over the Government’s decision in May 2024 to restore Nigeria, We Hail Thee, which had served as the national anthem from independence in 1960 until it was replaced by Arise, O Compatriots in 1978.
The National Assembly passed the National Anthem Bill, which President Bola Tinubu signed into law on May 29, 2024. The restoration attracted mixed reactions, with supporters describing it as a return to Nigeria’s historical identity, while critics questioned the decision in light of the country’s economic and security challenges.
Keyamo had also criticised Obi and other NDC members during an interview on Eagle 102.5 FM on Friday, accusing them of showing disregard for the country’s national symbols, its laws and the office of the President.
He questioned whether people seeking to lead Nigeria should participate in actions he considered disrespectful to the country’s institutions.
He also criticised Nigerians who continued to support the party despite the incident, arguing that the controversy could affect its appeal to moderate voters.
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“For me, it is left for the Nigerian people to decide whether these human beings you have now seen disregarding national symbols, disrespecting the law and disrespecting the office of the President that they so crave are responsible enough to aspire to that office,” he said.
However, the minister acknowledged during the interview that he was not aware of any specific legal punishment for singing the former national anthem.
He explained that although the law designates Nigeria, We Hail Thee as the official anthem, he knew of no provision prescribing a penalty for anyone who sang the previous version.
