Dino Melaye leads #SaveOurDemocracy protesters to sing old National Anthem [VIDEO]

Mojeed OladipupoApril 8, 2026Last Updated: April 8, 2026

2 minutes read

Dino Melaye, a former lawmaker who represented Kogi West Senatorial District at the Nigerian Senate led protesters to sing Nigeria’s “old” National Anthem.

Melaye joined the protesters major made up of members of the Obidient Movement and the Kwankwasiyya Movement at the Unity Fountain in Maitama district of Abuja.

Alongside the protesters, the former lawmaker sang the old National Anthem, “Arise O Compatriots”.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law on May 29, 2024.

This action by the president officially reinstated the “old” national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee”, replacing the previous one, “Arise, O Compatriots”.

The reversal to the older version of the anthem used from independence in 1960 until 1978 was met with outrage from Nigerians with many condemning the action of the president and the National Assembly.

The change was announced during a joint National Assembly session marking the 25th anniversary of Nigeria’s 4th Republic

Since its reversal, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” has been used at official events across the nation.

However, in what came as a surprise at the #OperationSaveOurDemocracy protest led by major leaders of the coalition party, the African Democratic Congress, Melaye mounted a moving van and cheered the crowd to sing the “old” anthem.

POLITICS NIGERIA gathers that the protesters are headed to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to protest the derecognition of the David Mark-led leadership of the party.

In a post shared on X, Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and leader of the ADC said they are out on the streets of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city to peacefully protest against the partisanship of the electoral umpire.

He said, “Our patriotic stance is aimed at safeguarding our democracy and preventing the enthronement of a dictatorship.”

Also Peter Obi in a separate post called on Nigerians to join the coalition leaders to reject the plan by President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress-led government to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

The protesters were also joined by other key leaders of the ADC including a former minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola; a former governor of Kano State and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Kwankwaso; a former minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi among others.