The Presidency has dismissed a viral video showing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ministers and other officials reciting the old national anthem during a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, describing the footage as outdated.
The video, which recently circulated on social media, claimed to show events from a recent FEC meeting. In the clip, attendees were seen reciting the former national anthem after President Tinubu entered the meeting venue and exchanged greetings.
The old anthem begins with the words, “Arise O Compatriots,” while Nigeria’s current national anthem starts with, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”
Responding to the claims, the President’s Special Adviser on Social Media, Segun Dada, said the footage was recorded during a Federal Executive Council meeting held in either 2023 or 2024, before the current anthem was officially restored.
As evidence, Dada pointed out that the video featured the former Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako, who left office in October 2024 due to health reasons. He also noted that the Ministry of Niger Delta appeared in the footage, despite the ministry having been dissolved in October 2024.
He further explained that the current national anthem officially came into effect on May 29, 2024, making it impossible for the old anthem to have been used at a recent FEC meeting.
The presidential aide criticized those circulating the video as recent, arguing that the claims were misleading and contributed to the spread of misinformation.
