Keyamo Accuses Peter Obi’s NDC Of Secession Move After Old Anthem Sung At Lagos Rally, Gives Dickson 48 Hours To Respond

Keyamo Accuses Peter Obi’s NDC Of Secession Move After Old Anthem Sung At Lagos Rally, Gives Dickson 48 Hours To Respond

A simple song at a political rally has now turned into a national controversy.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has accused the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, of taking a step towards secession after its supporters sang the old national anthem at a town hall meeting in Lagos.

Keyamo has now given the National Leader of the NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, 48 hours to tell Nigerians whether the party officially endorses the old anthem as its own national symbol.

The minister made the demand on Saturday in a post on his X handle.

Keyamo: Anthem Is About Sovereignty, Not Just A Song

According to Keyamo, a national anthem is not just a song people sing for fun. It is one of a country’s national symbols.

It represents a country’s history, values and sovereignty. It is meant to unite citizens, he wrote.

He warned that when a group of people deliberately refuse to sing the anthem prescribed by law and sing a different one, they are preparing grounds to break away from the country.

When a group of people decide to defy it and sing something different from what others are singing as prescribed by law, that group is preparing grounds to break away from the country. It is one of the ingredients of secession.

And once the leader of such a group endorses the action, it means the group is then officially a secessionist movement.

That statement has sparked heated debate online, with supporters of the ruling APC backing Keyamo and supporters of the NDC calling it an exaggeration.

What Exactly Happened In Oregun, Lagos On Thursday?

The controversy started at an NDC town hall meeting in the Oregun area of Lagos State on Thursday.

During the event, some attendees were seen singing the former national anthem, Arise, O Compatriots, instead of the current anthem, Nigeria, We Hail Thee.

The party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was also seen participating in the singing and making the NDC’s two-finger gesture.

Videos from the event quickly went viral, with critics accusing the party of disrespecting the law and the office of the President.

NDC Says It Was Spontaneous, Not Planned

The NDC has tried to calm the situation.

The party’s Lagos State governorship candidate, Funso Doherty, said the singing was a spontaneous reaction by attendees in an emotional atmosphere.

Doherty added that the current national anthem was also performed at the event, stressing that Nigeria had only one officially recognised national anthem.

But Keyamo is not buying that explanation. He wants the party’s national leader, not just the Lagos candidate, to speak.

Keyamo To Dickson: Speak In 48 Hours, The World Is Waiting

Keyamo described Dickson as his former classmate, his friend, and a man of considerable courage from their school days. But he said friendship will not stop him from demanding answers.

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, he said.

The 48-hour ultimatum started counting from Saturday, and political watchers are now waiting to see if Dickson will respond, ignore it, or fire back.

Keyamo Fires More Shots On Radio, Calls Obi Supporters Irresponsible

In a separate interview on Eagle 102.5 FM on Friday, Keyamo went even harder on Obi and other NDC members.

He accused them of disrespecting national symbols, the law and the office of the President.

For me, it is left for the Nigerian people to decide whether these human beings you have now seen disregarding national symbols, disrespecting the law and disrespecting the office of the President that they so crave are responsible enough to aspire to that office, he said.

He also described those who would support the party over the incident as irresponsible, saying the action could affect its appeal to moderate voters.

Keyamo Admits: There Is No Penalty For Singing Old Anthem

In a surprising twist during the same radio interview, Keyamo admitted that he was unaware of any specific penalty prescribed by law for singing the former national anthem.

There’s no penalty that is prescribed by law. No penalty. The law just says this is our new national anthem and then you should think we should all abide by it. It becomes a crime when there’s a penalty attached to it, he said.

That admission has given the NDC and its supporters ammunition to argue that the whole controversy is political, not legal.

When Did Nigeria Change Its Anthem Again?

The current controversy goes back to May 2024, when the Federal Government decided to reinstate Nigeria, We Hail Thee as the national anthem.

It replaced Arise, O Compatriots, which had been in use since 1978.

The National Assembly passed the National Anthem Bill, which was subsequently signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2024. The restored anthem was first adopted when Nigeria gained independence in 1960 but was replaced 18 years later.

The decision generated mixed reactions. Some Nigerians supported it as a return to the country’s historical identity, while critics questioned its relevance amid economic hardship and security challenges.

Many Nigerians still sing the old anthem out of habit, while others say they prefer it.

Why This Matters Ahead Of 2027

This is not just about a song. It is about 2027 politics.

Keyamo is a top member of the APC government. Peter Obi is the presidential candidate of the NDC. Seriake Dickson is the national leader of the NDC.

With the election drawing closer, every action by the opposition is being watched closely, and every mistake is being used as a campaign weapon.

Will Dickson respond within 48 hours? Will Peter Obi apologise? Or will the NDC turn this into a freedom-of-expression debate?

Tell us what you think in the comments. Is singing the old anthem secession, or is Keyamo overreacting? Share this story so others can join the conversation.