The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), a civil society organisation (CSO), says it will sue President Bola Tinubu over the recently signed National Anthem Act, 2024.
On May 29, Tinubu signed the legislation that returned the old national anthem themed ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’.
But the reintroduced old national anthem has generated mixed reactions among Nigerians, as stakeholders called for proper consultation before the decision was taken.
In a statement on Friday, Tonye Jaja, ALDRAP’s secretary, said the enactment of the National Anthem Act did not comply with the necessary constitutional requirements.
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“No public hearing was held before the said legislation was enacted as required under Section 60 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution,” the statement reads.
“Members of the public were not invited to make their contributions, as was done when the other national anthem was enacted in the year 1978.
“There was no letter of transmission of the said bill from the president to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives.
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“The expenditures associated with the National Anthem Act, 2024 (which was done on May 29, 2024, and on other dates) are not captured in the Budget of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Act, 2024 (as can be attested to by the accountant-general of the federation), and therefore the said National Anthem Act, 2024, should be declared illegal.”
The organisation also noted that the financial burden of implementing the new national anthem would include costs such as man-hours, updating official documents, and other related expenses.
The group argued that these costs would be too high for ordinary citizens to bear, especially without a corresponding increase in income.
Aside from the president, others to be joined as respondents in the case include the senate president and the speaker of the house of representatives.
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The group said the suit would be filed before a federal high court.
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