Presidency Reacts to Viral Video of Tinubu, Ministers Reciting Old National Anthem

The Presidency has dismissed claims surrounding a viral video showing President Bola Tinubu and members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, reciting Nigeria’s old national anthem, clarifying that the footage was recorded before the reintroduction of the current anthem.

The clarification followed widespread circulation of the video on social media, where many Nigerians questioned why the President and his ministers appeared to be reciting the old anthem despite the Federal Government’s adoption of “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” as the country’s official national anthem.

The government officially reinstated the anthem on May 29, 2024.

Reacting to the controversy, the President’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, said the video was not recent and originated from a Federal Executive Council meeting held in either 2023 or early 2024.

According to him, details visible in the footage clearly indicate that it predates the adoption of the new national anthem.

Olusegun pointed out that the video showed Dr Iziaq Salako serving as Minister of State for Environment, a position he left following his redeployment to the Ministry of Health in October 2024.

He also noted that the footage referenced the Ministry of Niger Delta, which was dissolved during the Federal Executive Council restructuring carried out in October 2024.

He argued that these details confirmed the video could not have been recorded after the government’s decision to restore the old national anthem.

“This video has Dr Iziaq Salako as the Honourable Minister of State for Environment. He was later reassigned to the Ministry of Health in October 2024,” Olusegun said.

He added that the presence of the now-defunct Ministry of Niger Delta in the footage further proved that it was recorded before the administrative changes introduced by the Tinubu administration.

Olusegun concluded that the video originated from a 2023 or 2024 Federal Executive Council meeting and criticised those responsible for recirculating it as though it were a recent event.

He also accused some individuals of spreading misleading information and expressed disappointment over what he described as poor journalistic standards in the handling of the video.

The clarification comes amid growing public scrutiny of information shared on social media, with government officials urging Nigerians to verify the authenticity and context of viral content before drawing conclusions or sharing it further.