ENGAGEMENTS WITH Chidi Amuta A carefully choreographed political diversion has just carried the day. In the absence of any tangible results for his first year in office, Mr. Tinubu’s fertile political imagination came up with a potent diversion.
A quick ruse of reverting to the old national anthem was the hit score. It would reverberate with the popular audience. People hear the tune of the national anthem and are reminded of their Nigerian nationality.
It is music with a compulsive audience. The presidential political hit squad quickly activated its National Assembly robotic button. In a matter of days, a bill to revert the nation to the old national anthem was rushed through both chambers of the National Assembly.
First reading. Second reading. Third reading.
Passage by voice vote: the ‘Ayes’ have it! It has to be in time for the planned presidential address to the joint session of the National Assembly to mark both 25 years of unbroken democracy and the first year of the Tinubu presidency. The plot adhered pointedly to the script. In the typical emerging authoritarian fashion of this presidency, there was no public debate.
No debate even in the chambers of the National Assembly. No calls for informed opinion from the public. Even when the Attorney General of the Federation cautioned on the need for public debate and wider public consultation, he was ignored.
The lone voice of a female legislator who tried to question the priority status of an anthem change at a time .