Watch: Confusion as Tinubu, ministers sing Nigeria’s former national anthem “Arise, O Compatriots” at FEC meeting

• A viral video shows President Bola Tinubu and FEC members singing “Arise, O Compatriots,” Nigeria’s former national anthem, after the President arrived at the meeting.

• The anthem was replaced in 2024 after Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill 2024, restoring “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” as Nigeria’s official anthem.

• The moment sparked reactions online, with many Nigerians questioning why the former anthem was used at an official government gathering.

• The Nigerian government has not provided an official explanation on whether the use of “Arise, O Compatriots” was intentional or a protocol oversight.

A video showing President Bola Tinubu and members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) singing Nigeria’s former national anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots,” at a council meeting has sparked reactions online.

In the footage circulating on social media, President Tinubu arrives at the meeting venue and greets those present with “good afternoon,” after which members of the council stand and begin reciting the anthem.

The moment attracted attention because “Arise, O Compatriots” is no longer Nigeria’s official national anthem. It was replaced in 2024 after President Tinubu assented to the National Anthem Bill, 2024, which restored the country’s independence-era anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”

The return of “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” marked a reversal of the 1978 decision that introduced “Arise, O Compatriots,” which had served as Nigeria’s anthem for more than four decades.

The video has generated confusion and debate among Nigerians, with many questioning why the former anthem was sung at an official government gathering despite the change in the country’s national anthem.

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The development comes more than a year after the Federal Government officially restored “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” as the national anthem, replacing the anthem that had been in use since 1978.

As of the time of filing this report, it remains unclear whether the singing of the former anthem at the FEC meeting was intentional, a protocol decision, or an oversight.

The video continues to generate reactions online, with Nigerians debating the significance of the moment and the place of both anthems in the country’s history.