‘It Was A Priority For Me’

President Bola Tinubu has said the reintroduction of the old national anthem was always a priority for him.

Tinubu made this known on Thursday during a meeting with the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) at the State House in Abuja.

The Nigerian leader said the National Assembly made the law reverting to the old national anthem and he does not have a choice but to obey the legislation.

He said Nigeria’s diversity should be protected and celebrated, adding that the country’s population should not be seen as a burden.

He said: “Let me allude to something that happened yesterday. The change of national anthem, ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’.

“Some people say, okay… say what? Is that your priority? It’s my priority. I agree with the national assembly. If they make law, I’ve got to obey that law, or we disagree openly and close the chapter.”

“But the question of diversity. Who gave us the name Nigeria? Is it not Britain? Or somewhere? Have we changed our name? We are Nigerians. Our passport shows that.

“As long as we are Nigerians and one family, we remain and protect our diversity and love one another as brothers and sisters.

“It is God Almighty that puts you in that particular place and makes you a member of that family. You have no control over it.

“When I came begging for votes, I didn’t say vote for me as a Yoruba man, I said vote for me as Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

Recall that in 2022, Tinubu had said in an interview that he would bring back the first national anthem if he had his way.

Two years later, Tinubu signed a bill into law that returned the old national anthem themed: ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’.

The return of the old anthem had divided opinions, with some commentators criticising the move as yet another case of misplaced priority given the plethora of challenges confronting Nigerians.