FACT CHECK: Video showing Tinubu, ministers singing old national anthem NOT recent
FACT CHECK: Video showing Tinubu, ministers singing old national anthem NOT recent
On Tuesday, a video where the old national anthem was sung during a federal executive council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu appeared on social media.
Many social media users who posted it claimed there was confusion when Tinubu and the ministers sang the old national anthem.
On May 29, 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed the bill on the reintroduction of the old national anthem.
The old national anthem is themed: ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’. The version used since 1978 is titled: ‘Arise, O Compatriots’.
In the video, Tinubu and the ministers were singing the national anthem titled: ‘Arise, O Compatriots’ and not the ‘Nigeria We Hail Thee’ anthem.
Presently, Nigeria’s new national anthem is ‘Nigeria We Hail Thee’.
An X user — @CrownprinceCom2 — posted the video with the caption: “Video showing President Tinubu singing the old Nigerian national anthem during a meeting with ministers and other cabinet members. The moment has sparked reactions and discussions online.” (archived here).
The X post gathered over 190 comments, 240 reposts, and 400 likes.
Politics Nigeria, a news platform, posted the video via its Facebook page with the caption: “WATCH: Confusion As President Tinubu Sings Old National Anthem During Meeting With Ministers, Other Cabinet Members”.
The video has the logo of AIT News, a Nigerian television station. The headline displayed in the video reads: “Tinubu Defends Removal of FCTA, TSA.”
The video was dated July 7, 2026.
VERIFICATION
To verify the origin of the video, CableCheck searched through the social media platforms of AIT. We found that AIT posted the trending video on its YouTube channel on Tuesday. (archived here).
On Monday, Tinubu defended his administration’s decision to remove the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) from the treasury single account (TSA).
Tinubu was represented by George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), at the inauguration of the Body of Benchers Office Annex and 10 units of four-bedroom staff quarters at the Nigerian Law School in Bwari, Abuja.
The event was reported by multiple Nigerian newspapers.
Tinubu’s remarks concerning the removal of FCTA from TSA were made during the event and not during the FEC meeting as portrayed in the video published by AIT.
CableCheck also observed that some ministers seen in the video have had their positions changed since 2024 — an indication that the video is not recent.
Iziaq Adeboye
Iziaq Salako Adeboye, who was then the minister of state for environment, was in the video. On October 23, 2024, Tinubu reassigned and made him the minister of state for health.
Abubakar Momoh
Abubakar Momoh, who was then the minister of Niger Delta Development, also appeared in the video. On October 23, 2024, Tinubu scrapped the ministry of Niger Delta Development. Momoh was appointed as the minister of the newly created ministry of regional development.
Abdullahi Gwarzo
In addition, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, who was then the minister of housing and urban development, was also in the video. Tinubu sacked Gwarzo during the cabinet reshuffle of October 23, 2024.
Although CableCheck could not ascertain the exact time of the FEC meeting, cues in the clip indicate it was recorded during the FEC meeting between 2023 and 2024.
VERDICT
The video showing Tinubu and ministers singing the old national anthem is not recent.
