During the opening ceremonies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national caucus conference, which took place on Thursday night at the State House in Abuja, Nigeria’s former national hymn was briefly performed.
The strange incident happened just as the national anthem was about to be played and dignitaries were being escorted inside the villa’s banquet hall.
The band first performed an instrumental rendition of the previous hymn, “Arise, O Compatriots,” in place of the recently restored anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”
Leaders such as Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, and President Bola Tinubu stood in mild confusion for a few seconds before the musicians realized their error and changed to the proper anthem halfway through the performance.
President Tinubu signed a bill on May 29 that reinstated “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” the national anthem that had been in use from 1960 until 1988.
During the caucus meeting, the song “Arise, O Compatriots,” which was played from 1978 to early 2024, was briefly played incorrectly.
The national head of the party, Nentawe Yilwatda, presided over the first APC caucus session.
After defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, governors Peter Mbah of Enugu, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Agbu Kefas of Taraba, and Douye Diri of Bayelsa joined the ruling party’s inaugural caucus meeting.
Former vice president Yemi Osinbajo, members of the national working committee, APC governors, and key national assembly officers are among the other party leaders in attendance.
