Keyamo Insists NDC Erred in Singing Old National Anthem During Townhall Meeting in Lagos
Chinedu Eze
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has repudiated those who try to justify the singing of old national anthem by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) by saying that All Progressives Congress (APC) also sing ‘On Our Mandate’, insisting that Senator Seriake Dickson led party was wrong, after all.
On Thursday, November 12, NDC held townhall meeting at the Classic Event Centre, Oregun Ikeja, Lagos, where old national anthem was sung instead of the new; although party members claimed that the new national anthem was sang later.
However, Keyamo, in his verified X (Twitter) account insisted that NDC was wrong and rejected the attempt to justify their action by the NDC party members, saying that APC also sing ‘On Our Mandate’.
The Minister explained, “Let me educate some mischievous persons who try to equate singing the on your mandate song, which is used to serenade President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with singing an outlawed anthem in place of a legally approved National Anthem.
“At no time have supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sung on your mandate in place of the National Anthem. At every occasion, the National Anthem is always sung as a mark of recognition of one of our most important national symbols, and then the President is serenaded by his supporters with on your mandate.”
He said that nobody stops Peter Obi from adopting a song, even the old anthem, as his own song. But it must be sung either before or after the legally recognised National Anthem is given its due recognition.
“Again, as part of presidential protocol, whenever the President walks into an event or gets up to speak, the Police Band usually plays any instrumental to herald his presence or speech. They simply choose anyone they fancy. Check all videos of Presidents Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan or Buhari entering the National Assembly or getting up to speak. It must be preceded by an instrumental from the Police Band. In this case, the Police Band sometimes plays the on your mandate instrumental to herald the President’s speech. This comes after the national anthem has been played,” he said.
Keyamo also noted that many states in Nigeria today have their own anthem, but it is always sung after the National Anthem has been rendered.
“Singing an outlawed anthem in place of a legally approved national anthem by the NDC is surely an expression of a desire to have a separate country, and that is an ingredient of a secessionist group,” Keyamo insisted.