The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has given the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, 48 hours to clarify whether the party officially endorses Nigeria’s former national anthem.

Keyamo made the demand in a post on his X handle on Saturday, arguing that the national anthem represents the country’s history, values and sovereignty and serves as a symbol of national unity.

He warned that a group’s deliberate decision to reject the anthem prescribed by law in favour of another could constitute an ingredient of secession, particularly if its leadership officially endorses the action.

According to the minister, singing a different anthem from the one recognised by law could signal an intention to separate from the country.

He further argued that when a group’s leader endorses such an action, it could amount to the group officially adopting a secessionist position.

Keyamo consequently challenged Dickson, whom he described as his former classmate and friend, to publicly state the NDC’s position within 48 hours.

He wrote: “I am therefore officially calling on the original ‘Countryman’, my classmate, my friend and a man of considerable courage from our school days, Senator Seriake Dickson, the official leader of the NDC, to within 48 hours speak up as to whether the NDC officially endorses a proscribed anthem as its own national symbol. The world is waiting.”

The minister’s demand followed an incident at an NDC town hall meeting in the Oregun area of Lagos State on Thursday, where the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and other attendees sang Nigeria’s former national anthem, Arise, O Compatriots, instead of the current version, Nigeria, We Hail Thee.

Obi was also seen participating in the singing while making the two-finger gesture associated with the NDC.

However, the party’s Lagos State governorship candidate, Funso Doherty, subsequently explained that the decision to sing the former anthem was spontaneous and not planned by the event organisers.

Doherty said the current national anthem was also performed after the crowd sang the former version, maintaining that Nigeria had only one officially recognised national anthem.

The controversy followed the Federal Government’s decision in May 2024 to restore Nigeria, We Hail Thee, which was originally adopted at independence in 1960. It replaced Arise, O Compatriots, which had been in use since 1978.

The National Anthem Bill was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2024.

In a separate interview on Eagle 102.5 FM on Friday, Keyamo criticised Obi and other NDC members over the incident, accusing them of disrespecting national symbols, the law and the office of the President.

He also argued that the controversy could affect the party’s appeal among moderate voters.

However, the minister acknowledged that he was unaware of any specific legal penalty prescribed for singing the former national anthem.

He said the absence of a prescribed punishment meant the action did not automatically constitute a criminal offence, although he maintained that citizens were expected to comply with the anthem recognised by law.