Posted by Chinenye on Tue 07th Jul, 2026 - tori.ng
A trending video showing President Bola Tinubu and top government officials has triggered widespread debate online, with many questioning what they saw.
(*President Bola Tinubu. Photo by Premuim times)
President Bola Tinubu and members of his cabinet were heard reciting the old Nigerian national anthem during a Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting on Monday, despite the Federal Government’s reintroduction of the former anthem in May 2024.
The development was observed in a video from the FEC meeting circulating on various social media platforms.
The video showed President Tinubu and ministers reciting “Arise, O Compatriots”, the anthem that was officially replaced on May 29, 2024, when the President signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law, restoring “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” as Nigeria’s official national anthem.
The change to “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” followed the signing of the National Anthem Act, 2024, which replaced the anthem adopted in 1978 with the country’s former national anthem first used at independence in 1960.
As at the time of filing this report, the Presidency has not offered any explanation on why the old anthem was recited during the FEC meeting.
WATCH: Confusion As President Tinubu, Ministers Recite Old National Anthem At FEC Meeting pic.twitter.com/bSuOiWGIRy
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) July 7, 2026