A former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani has reacted to moves by the House of Representatives to change the national anthem.

According to him, any change must be done in consultation with Nigerians adding that any attempt to do otherwise would be seen as an attempt to dissolve Nigeria.

Recall on Thursday, May 23 the House passed a bill seeking to reintroduce the old national anthem.

It passed the first, second, and third readings during the plenary.

Reacting on his X page on Thursday, the former senator noted the potential consequences of altering a symbol of national identity without proper public consultations and constitutional amendments.

“Tempering with or changing the National Anthem or National pledge of Nigeria should be done after wider public consultation and should be factored in the process of constitutional amendments,” Sani wrote.

“Or would be misinterpreted as a surreptitious attempt to dissolve the country by altering one of its most important pillars.”

The old national anthem is themed ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’. It was introduced on October 1, 1960, after Nigeria gained independence.

It served as the national anthem until 1978, when it was replaced with the current tune.

Tempering with or Changing the National Anthem or National pledge of Nigeria should be done after wider public consultation and should be factored in the process of constitutional amendments.Or would be misinterpreted as a surreptitious attempt to dissolve the country by altering…

— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) May 23, 2024