Fact-Check: Was the Old National Anthem Recited at the National Summit of All Opposition Political Party Leaders?
BY: Oluwaseye Ogunsanya
Claim:
An X user claimed that the old national anthem was recited at the National Summit of All Opposition Political Party Leaders held in Ibadan over the weekend.
Verdict:
False. The new national anthem “Nigeria We Hail Thee,” was recited at the National Summit of All Opposition Political Party Leaders not “Arise O Compatriots”
Full Text:
An X user claimed that the old national anthem “Arise O Compatriots” was recited at the National Summit of All Opposition Political Party Leaders held in Ibadan over the weekend.
The claim was made as a comment on a post by Jowosimi Olabamini (Legendary J.O.E), Special Assistant to the Speaker of the House of Representatives on New Media, who criticised the summit on X.
The same claim was found here, here, here, here and here where it was shared as a video.
Verification:
To verify the claim, FactCheckAfrica reviewed the full live video of the event posted by Arise News, paying close attention to the sequence of proceedings and audio cues.
A careful review of the video shows that the compere invited participants to stand for the national anthem at 9:41. However, the anthem was not rendered immediately. The new national anthem, “Nigeria We Hail Thee,” began at 9:59 and ended at 11:30. Both the lyrics and melody clearly correspond to the new national anthem.
Contrary to the claim, there is no instance in the video where the old national anthem was recited or sung. Afterwards, the Oyo State anthem was rendered, further confirming the sequence of events.
Conclusion:
The claim that the old national anthem was recited at the National Summit of All Opposition Political Party Leaders in Ibadan is false. Findings from the reviewed video show that the new national anthem, “Nigeria We Hail Thee,” was the one rendered, with no instance of the old anthem throughout the event. The claim is therefore not supported by evidence from the event.
