Dare Babalola
Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria, has condemned the playing of President Bola Tinubu’s campaign song, “On Your Mandate”, in place of the National Anthem at the 2025 All Nigerian Judges Conference.
In a statement he signed personally, the former presidential candidate described the incident as an “assault on national dignity” and criticised the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress government for allegedly attempting to capture state institutions and crush opposition voices.
He noted that he had waited for the presidency or Chief Justice of Nigeria to give a reasonable explanation for the act but both parties have been silent about it.
Atiku wrote, “My first instinct was to dismiss it as a deepfake. But once it was confirmed to be authentic—an actual reflection of what transpired on the very day President Tinubu lectured the judiciary on integrity and the rule of law, I waited for an explanation from the Presidency or the office of the CJN. Silence. Total, deafening silence.”
Abubakar questioned how judges can dispense justice fearlessly when the executive arm is eroding boundaries between state, party, and personal ambition.
“It is the most blatant signal yet that this government is attempting to drag the judiciary into the partisan gutters of the APC, if not coerce a wholesale ‘defection’ of Nigerian judges into political alignment.
“How can confidence be built when the executive arm openly inserts partisan propaganda into a solemn judicial gathering? How can judges dispense justice fearlessly when Tinubu’s operatives are busy eroding the boundaries between state, party, and personal ambition?”
He urged Nigerians to condemn the affront and stand up for constitutional democracy, saying judges swore an oath to defend the Constitution, justice, and the rule of law, not to stand “on the mandate” of any individual.
He concluded, “Let the records be clear: Nigerian judges swore an oath to defend the Constitution, justice, and the rule of law, not to stand ‘on the mandate’ of Bola Ahmed Tinubu or any other individual. This affront must be condemned by all who still believe in constitutional democracy.”
