Nigerian Lawyers Prepare to Sue Tinubu Over National Anthem Reversion

The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) has announced its intention to take legal action against President Bola Tinubu concerning the recently enacted National Anthem Act 2024.

President Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law, reintroducing the old anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.” This move has sparked varied reactions among Nigerians, with many stakeholders advocating for thorough consultation before such decisions are made.

In a statement released on Friday, ALDRAP’s secretary, Tonye Jaja, asserted that the enactment of the National Anthem Act did not adhere to constitutional requirements. The group contended that the public was not adequately engaged, unlike during the enactment of the previous national anthem in 1978. They also highlighted that the bill was not formally transmitted from the president to the Senate president and the speaker of the House of Representatives.

The statement partly read, “No public hearing was held before the said legislation was enacted as required under Section 60 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution. Members of the public were not invited to make their contributions, as was done when the other national anthem was enacted in 1978. There was no letter of transmission of the said bill from the president to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives. The expenditures associated with the National Anthem Act, 2024 (which was done on May 29, 2024, and on other dates) are not captured in the Budget of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Act, 2024 (as can be attested to by the accountant-general of the federation), and therefore the said National Anthem Act, 2024, should be declared illegal.”