By Wilbet Ijeoma
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) took its campaign consultation to Lagos State yesterday 12th November 2026, where the NDC governorship candidates, Funso Doherty, an investment management professional and politician played host.
The consultation, which was supposed to be a townhall meeting, held at Oregun, ikeja Lagos, but was marred by invasion of armed hoodlum alleged to be supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Noteworthy and condemnable was the abuse of one of Nigeria’s national symbols, the National Anthem, when the geering NDC supporters governed the judgment of NDC Presidential candidate Mr Peter Obi and his Lagos State governorship candidates Funso Doherty to jettison the new national anthem enabled by an Act for the old one during the townhall meeting.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes is a Latin rendition of the big question “Who takes custody of the custodians?” or “Who watches the watchmen? or “Who will guard the guards themselves?”
This big question highlights the danger of unchecked power and/or selective lawfulness among those that are supposed to be custodians of the law and aspiring to become the President and Governor.
The national anthem is not a matter of personal preference, neither is it an object for pick and choose. It is one of Nigeria’s national symbols, a national asset and emblem, a national ordinance enabled by an Act of Parliament, which embodies the country’s identity, heritage, and values.
Recall that on May 29, 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed the National Anthem Act into law, officially restoring “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” as Nigeria’s national anthem.
Admissibility, we saw the video where the NDC, alongside its supporters, used the old national anthem, Arise, O Compatriots, rather than the new national anthem, Nigeria, We Hail Thee, during their town hall meeting in Lagos. Even Peter Obi together with his governorship candidate Funso Doherty was seen participating in the singing of the old anthem, which amounts to willful lawlessness and disregard for Nigeria’s ordinance, identity and value.
An increasingly arousing popularity and acceptance should not be confused as a latitude for lawlessness – Obi and his teeming supporters must know this. It is not only crass but a willful lawlessness to selectively obey the laws of a country you intend to govern.
The national anthem is not a matter of pick and choose. You cannot wake up tomorrow and decide which national anthem you prefer simply because you don’t like the one currently recognised by law.
Now, look at what the law says:
✅ Section 1 of the National Anthem Act 2024 recognises Nigeria, We Hail Thee as the national anthem.
✅ Section 2 recognises the national anthem as a national symbol and requires individuals and corporate bodies to respect it and preserve its dignity.
✅ Section 5 requires persons present to stand and conduct themselves respectfully when the national anthem is performed or sung.
Until the National Assembly exercises its powers to amend the law, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” remains our national anthem.
