Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticised the playing of President Bola Tinubu’s campaign anthem, “On Your Mandate”, at the opening of the 2025 All Nigerian Judges Conference, describing the incident as a violation of national dignity and judicial neutrality.
Atiku, in a statement on Wednesday, said he had initially believed the viral video was fabricated, but later confirmed it was authentic. According to him, the song was played immediately after the speech by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, instead of the National Anthem.
“What I saw was nothing short of an assault on our national dignity,” Atiku said. “My first instinct was to dismiss it as a deep fake. But when it was confirmed to be true, I waited for an explanation from the Presidency or the CJN. Silence. Total, deafening silence.”
He accused the Tinubu administration of undermining democratic institutions and attempting to politicise the judiciary.
“This incident is not isolated. The Tinubu-led APC government has been systematically capturing state institutions, silencing opposition, and steering Nigeria toward a de facto one-party state,” he alleged.
Atiku noted the irony that the song was played on the same day President Tinubu addressed judges on the importance of integrity and the rule of law.
He described the incident as “reckless, scandalous, disgraceful, and deeply irresponsible,” warning that such actions erode public trust in the judiciary and blur the lines between state functions and partisan interests.
“Judges swore an oath to defend the constitution, not to stand ‘on the mandate’ of any individual,” Atiku said. “This affront must be condemned by all who believe in democracy.”
Meanwhile, the National Judicial Institute (NJI) has refuted reports suggesting that judges at the conference sang the political chorus “On Your Mandate, We Shall Stand.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Mr. Kolade Umoru, Head of Information, Media and Public Relations, the NJI described the reports as false and misleading.
“The National Anthem was the only song rendered collectively by all participants at both the commencement and conclusion of the ceremony,” the NJI clarified.
“No judge sang or chanted any political song.”
According to the Institute, the brief rendition of “On Your Mandate” was played solely by the Guards Brigade Band, which, it said, operates under military ceremonial procedures. The judiciary, it stressed, had no control over the band’s musical selections.
“The Judiciary remains strictly non-partisan, deeply committed to constitutional neutrality, and wholly insulated from political activities or symbols of allegiance,” the NJI stated.
The Institute urged the public and media to verify information before dissemination and warned against narratives capable of undermining confidence in the judiciary.
“The 2025 All Nigeria Judges Conference is a professional gathering aimed at strengthening the justice system. Any attempt to distort the solemnity of the event or attribute political motives to judicial officers is unfortunate and misleading,” the statement added.
