ZLP lauds NASS on old National Anthem

The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has commended the National Assembly for passing the bill seeking to revert Nigeria to the old National Anthem.

The National Chairman, ZLP, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu said this when he spoke with newsmen on Monday in Abuja, calling on President Bola Tinubu to sign the bill into law.

Nwanyanwu, also the 2023 presidential candidate of the ZLP, said that the move was a right step in the right direction.

“The 1960 National Anthem touches on the very core of our diversity and religious complexities.

“I congratulate the National Assembly for passing the bill to repeal the current National Anthem and revert to the original National Anthem which commenced with the independence of Nigeria on Oct. 1, 1960.

“I feel vindicated by this noble act of the 10th National Assembly which was in complete consonance with my presidential manifesto for the 2023 presidential election where I vigorously canvassed for the return to Nigeria’s original National Anthem.

“What the National Assembly has done, has not only proved that it is sensitive to the yeaning’s of the people but it is also abundantly clear that there was no justifiable reason to have tampered with the 1960 National Anthem of Nigeria to the extent of replacing it with the current anthem,” he said.

Nwanyanwu said that the current national anthem does not reflect Nigeria’s diversity and yearning for unity as captured by the old anthem.

“Many countries have retained their National Anthem for several centuries as long as they existed as a nation,’’ he said.

He said that the National Anthem of a country was so symbolic saying that it was strange to see the military, repealed Nigeria’s cherished National Anthem by a fiat without consultation.

Nwanyanwu said that the old National Anthem evoked emotions and called for a united Nigeria where equity justice reigned supreme with no citizen oppressed or any section being preponderant over others with clear equality of citizens.

“Nigeria we hail thee, our own dear native land, though tribe and tongue may defer, In brotherhood we stand Nigerians all, and proud to serve our own sovereign motherland.

“This touches the very core of our diversity, and religious complexities; these are the reasons I gave when I canvassed for the reverting to the original National Anthem.

“I join all well-meaning Nigerians in commending the National Assembly and its leadership for their courage and patriotism in this regard.

“I urge Mr. President to waste no time assenting to this bill without delay and history will record the enactment of this landmark Act to his credit,” he said.