Social critic Aisha Yesufu claims that rather than singing the new national anthem, which she refers to as President Bola Tinubu’s anthem, she would rather serve 20 years in prison.
Her remarks follow news that a bill sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, which is currently awaiting a second reading, would punish anyone found guilty of making a statement or acting in a way that incites separatist agitation, intergroup or sectional conflict in the nation, with a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison or a fine of N10 million, or both.
The Sun claims that the Bill stipulates that, among other penalties, anyone found guilty of destroying national symbols, refusing to recite the national anthem and pledge, defacing a place of worship with the intent to incite violence, or subverting the Federal Government faces up to N5 million in fines and/or 10 years in prison.
But in response, Yesufu declared that she would sooner go to jail than play the national anthem.
On X, she made the following post: “Will choose 20 years in prison rather than sing Tinubu’s anthem passed by slaves masquerading as lawmakers in the National Assembly.”
According to reports, the politician and activist from Nigeria openly disapproved of the recently approved national song, “Nigeria We Hail Thee.”
The activist in a recent video that our correspondent saw decided to sit during the new anthem’s reading, while others stood.
Aisha wrote, “Not my anthem,” in response to Yesufu, who thereafter posted a video clip that caught the moment on her official X handle.
