Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the playing of President Bola Tinubu’s campaign anthem, “On Your Mandate,” at the opening of the 2025 All Nigeria Judges Conference, describing the incident as an “assault on national dignity” and further proof, in his view, of an alleged capture of state institutions by the current administration.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Atiku said he initially dismissed the video clip — aired by Channels Television — as fake, until it was confirmed to be authentic. According to him, the decision to play the campaign tune at such a high-level judicial gathering, particularly at the end of the Chief Justice’s address, was inappropriate and deeply troubling.
“What I saw was nothing short of an assault on our national dignity,” Atiku said, alleging that President Tinubu allowed his “personal political anthem” to replace the National Anthem at a solemn judicial event. He argued that such symbolism was inconsistent with the neutral and non-partisan posture expected of the judiciary and those who interface with it.
Silence from Presidency, CJN ‘Deafening’, Says Atiku
Atiku expressed strong dissatisfaction with what he described as the failure of both the Presidency and the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to offer any clarification or apology after the video surfaced.
“I waited for an explanation from the Presidency or the office of the CJN. Silence. Total, deafening silence,” he stated, insisting that the lack of response raised further concerns about the intent behind the anthem’s rendition.
The former vice president argued that the episode fits into what he characterised as a broader pattern under the Tinubu administration. According to him, the incident is emblematic of “a systematic capture of state institutions, crushing opposition voices, and steering Nigeria toward a de facto one-party state.”
Atiku further maintained that playing a partisan campaign tune at a judicial gathering stood in sharp contrast to President Tinubu’s own remarks at the conference, where he reportedly emphasised the need to safeguard the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
Allegations of Institutional Capture and Pressure on Judiciary
In his statement, Atiku accused the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government of increasingly blurring the lines between party interests and state institutions. He claimed that the use of “On Your Mandate” in a judicial setting was not a minor protocol error but part of a worrying trend.
“While preaching morality, his administration allowed (or engineered) the playing of his own partisan campaign music before the entire Nigerian judiciary,” Atiku said, describing the development as “reckless, scandalous, disgraceful, and deeply irresponsible.”
He warned that such actions risk sending a dangerous signal that the judiciary is expected to align with the ruling party, rather than remain a neutral arbiter. “This government is attempting to drag the judiciary into the partisan gutters of the APC,” Atiku stated, stressing that judges owe allegiance to the Constitution and the rule of law, not to any political figure or party.
Atiku cautioned that if left unchecked, these trends could erode public confidence in the impartiality of the courts and deepen fears that Nigeria is drifting towards a political environment where dissent is constrained and institutions serve partisan objectives.
NJI Denies Judges Sang Anthem, Clarifies Role of Guards Brigade Band
In a swift response to the controversy, the National Judicial Institute (NJI) rejected reports that judges participated in singing “On Your Mandate” at the conference.
In a separate statement issued on Wednesday, NJI spokesperson, Kolade Umoru, described such reports as “entirely false and unfounded.” He clarified that the only song collectively rendered by participants at the event was the National Anthem, which was taken at both the beginning and the end of the ceremony.
Umoru explained that the brief playing of “On Your Mandate” originated solely from the Guards Brigade Band, which, according to him, acted under standard military protocol while ushering the President to the podium. “The judiciary had no control over the musical selections of the Brigade,” the NJI stated, distancing the institution from any suggestion of partisanship in the choice of music.
The clarification appears aimed at preserving the image of the judiciary as an independent arm of government, even as the public debate continues over the appropriateness of using a partisan campaign tune in a formal judicial setting, and whether sufficient sensitivity was shown by those responsible for the protocol arrangements.
Debate Over Symbolism and Judicial Neutrality Continues
The incident has reignited conversations about the boundaries between political power and institutional neutrality in Nigeria. While Atiku frames the matter as evidence of creeping authoritarian tendencies and the politicisation of state organs, the NJI’s defence places the responsibility on protocol decisions made by the Guards Brigade Band rather than on the judiciary itself.
As the controversy unfolds, questions linger over whether further clarification or accountability will emerge from the Presidency, the military authorities in charge of the band, or other officials involved in planning the event. For many observers, the episode has become a test case for how seriously the government and key institutions treat the symbolism of neutrality — especially in relation to the judiciary, which remains central to Nigeria’s democratic framework.
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