Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas has pulled back the controversial Counter Subversion and Other Related Bills which seek to criminalise refusal to sing Nigeria’s reintroduced national anthem ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’.
Former minister of education Oby Ezekwesili and rights activist Aisha Yesufu are among notable figures who have insisted they will keep reciting the other version ‘Arise O compatriots’.
The National Anthem Bill 2024 passed into law in May saw various reactions from members of the public. While some thought it was timely others knocked the lawmakers, saying there were other pressing matters begging for their attention.
The proposed legislation was to carry a 10-year jail term for defaulters.
Following the public uproar, Abbas, in a statement by his spokesman Musa Krishi on Wednesday, said he had withdrawn the draft after “careful consideration of the nation’s current circumstances.
Krishi said the speaker’s decision “reflects his commitment to ensuring that the House remains truly the People’s House.”
“He (Abbas) acknowledges the significance of the concerns raised and the attention the Bill has garnered, reaffirming that he will never support any action that might disrupt the peace and unity of our nation.
“The public is hereby notified of the withdrawal of the Counter Subversion Bill and other related ones introduced on July 23, 2024,” the statement said.
