Nigerian activist and businesswoman Aisha Yesufu made a bold statement by refusing to stand for the newly adopted national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” at a recent event
In a recently released video posted on X, formerly Twitter, the businesswoman Aisha Yesufu was seen deliberately ignoring the new national anthem.
Yesufu remained seated, flipping through a book and adjusting her glasses, while others stood in respect.
This act of defiance comes after President Tinubu signed the new anthem into law on Wednesday, replacing the old national anthem.
It is worth noting that “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” originally written by British expatriate Lillian Jean Williams and composed by Frances Berda, was replaced by “Arise, O Compatriots.”
Critics have long disapproved of the original anthem due to its foreign origins.
The legislative change to reinstate the old anthem was led by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) and garnered strong support from lawmakers.
Proponents of the bill argued that the original anthem symbolises unity, peace, and prosperity more effectively than its successor, which they claim was a product of a military regime and lacked resonance with national values and norms.
Yesufu captioned her video with the hashtag #NotMyNationalAnthem, sparking a wave of reactions across the nation.
One user, @iconicsteve01, expressed disapproval, stating, “This is a disrespect to the country though. Sorry to say.”
Another user, @vincentchidi6, dismissed the new anthem as “Very boring colonial masters song.”
Critics like @Gibson_IZ voiced concerns about the message Yesufu’s actions might send to the younger generation, tweeting, “This is wrong. What are you teaching the younger ones? To disrespect the national anthem?? Na wa for you oo sis.”
Others, such as @AsefoneIgho, expressed frustration with the focus on the anthem amidst broader national issues: “Confirm.. it’s just a disgrace.. when other countries are solving real problems.. Nigeria is solving national anthem problems… Is Nigeria not a failure and most especially we as a people have failed.. we can completely snub this foolishness by ignoring the useless anthem.”
Supporters of Yesufu’s stance, like @MercyEgbai, echoed her sentiments of disillusionment with the country: “Exactly what I will do whenever I’m in a place they recite the Tinubu anthem. You can say it’s disrespecting the country but ask yourself if the country has for once respected your right as a citizen? What good has the country done for you if not suffer and hardship?”