NIGERIA’S elected lawmakers repeated “on your mandate we shall stand” song at the 2025 budget presentation by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday.

The National Assembly sang the song without restraints by Mr Godswill Akpabio and Tajudeen Abbas’ leadership. Both men are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) just as President Tinubu.

The song was sang twice – before and during President Tinubu’s 2025 budget presentation – despite that the business of the day was a national budget presentation.

Several lawmakers joined in the song with elation despite that there were legislators from other political parties such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party and the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP).

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Worse still, the second song came when President Tinubu mistakenly addressed the lawmakers as the Ninth Assembly, rather than the 10th Assembly.

When some lawmakers protested, the president said: “You will all be re-elected.” As soon he said that, the rendition began again – for the second time.

This was not the first time the lawnakers would form an orchestra for Tinubu. They sang the song during Mr Tinubu’s 2024 budget presentation and when he came to defend the supplementary budget.

Interpretration

By interpretation, the song means that all the lawmakers would support Mr Tinubu in thick and thin – whether what he does is right or wrong.

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An political scientist, Dr Ahmed Alli, explained that this was the reason lawmakers never ask Mr Tinubu queestions even with the current poor state of the Nigerian economy.

“I am sure you know that the song is also an affirmation that they are in support of him and his policies. It is also about 2027. They are simply saying to would-be opponents that they would fail. So, politicians are always better than us professionals. They can think about tomorrow – if elections are involved.”

In 2024, when the song was sang by the lawnakers during Mr Tinubu’s 2024 budget presentations, an Arise TV presenter and lawyer, Dr Reuben Abati, had written: “This is how parliaments in Africa turn their presidents into dictators. The National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, if we check both chambers, is a collection of members from different political parties. It’s a place for law making, good governance and oversight assembly. This kind of open sycophancy is primitive.

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“‘On your mandate we shall stand’ is a slogan, song for the APC. So the APC cannot hijack a bipartisan National Assembly.” where there are other political parties representing the interest of Nigerians. And if you look at the result of the election, it’s not everybody that is standing on the mandate of president Tinubu.”

Another analyst, Ms Choky Ekeluba, said: “By repeating this song, lawmakers are saying that they do not believe in the national anthem and can now replace the national anthem with Tinubus mandate, which is quite unfortunate.”

Reactions on X

There were reactions from X users on Wednesday, with the majority condemning how lawmakers had created a demi-god out of Nigerias president.

Omotayo Williams, @KadunaResident, wrote: “National anthem has been replaced with ‘on your mandate we shall stand.’ The demon you sycophants are creating, hopefully you don’t realize and regret when it’s too late.”

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An X handle, @anthonyabakporo, wrote: “National Assembly Remuneration is constant, Constituency allowance is surging. Prayer in their email is steady, so why won’t they sing: ‘On Your Mandate We Shall Stand?'”

An X handle, @AnomalousPrince, tweeted: “Are these the people you expect to make the laws in your interest? Are these the people you all commit the lives of your children in their hands? Singing ‘On your mandate, we shall stand,’ – National Assembly members NIGERIA IS A CAPTURED STATE #Kakistocracy.”