Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has sharply criticised the playing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s campaign anthem, “On Your Mandate”, during the opening session of the 2025 All Nigerian Judges Conference—a development he says undermines the neutrality of the nation’s judiciary.
Atiku, in a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, said he initially dismissed the video as manipulated footage until he confirmed it was authentic.
He described the scene as “an assault on national dignity” and accused the current administration of pushing the country toward a one-party state.
“Reckless, scandalous, disgraceful” — Atiku
According to the former Vice President, the use of the political song at a gathering of the country’s top judicial officers amounted to dragging the judiciary into partisan politics.
He expressed shock that the incident occurred immediately after the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, delivered her address, noting that neither the Presidency nor the CJN’s office had offered any explanation.
Atiku argued that the Tinubu administration has demonstrated a pattern of attempting to politicise state institutions, saying the playing of the anthem was another indicator of what he termed “systematic institutional capture.”
He reminded the President that the judiciary’s loyalty lies with the Constitution and the rule of law—not with any political officeholder.
The former Vice President criticised what he called the “contradiction” of the administration preaching ethics and credibility to judges while inserting a campaign song into an official state function.
“Replacing the National Anthem with ‘On Your Mandate’ before a hall of judges is reckless and deeply irresponsible,” he said.
“This is a dangerous attempt to drag the judiciary into the APC’s political fold.”
Atiku insisted that such actions erode public trust in the judicial system, questioning how confidence can be built when partisan signals are injected into a gathering meant to uphold justice.
NJI: Claims are Misleading
Responding to growing controversy, the National Judicial Institute (NJI) issued a statement countering the narrative spreading across social media. According to the NJI, judges did not sing or endorse “On Your Mandate” during the event.
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The Institute explained that the only collective song rendered at the ceremony was the national anthem, which was performed at both the beginning and the end of the programme.
The NJI stressed that claims of judicial partisanship were inaccurate and misrepresentative of what took place.
A video circulating online had shown participants standing as the political song was played while President Tinubu approached the podium, leading to widespread speculation that the judiciary endorsed the anthem.
A Controversy With Broader Implications
The incident has ignited fresh debates about the independence of Nigeria’s judiciary and the perception of encroaching political influence. While Atiku condemns it as evidence of creeping authoritarianism, the NJI insists the situation has been misinterpreted.
The Presidency has not publicly commented on the matter.
