“We are Not Here To Sing Songs” – Akpabio Prevents Alake From Reciting NG National Anthem

According to Channels Television on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, Senate President Godswill Akpabio stopped presidential spokesperson Dele Alake from reciting the second stanza of the national anthem, as requested by Senate Minority Leader Simon Mwadkwon.

Senator Mwadkwon of Plateau North challenged Alake to recite the second stanza of the national anthem to demonstrate his ability to be Nigeria’s image developer if President Bola Tinubu picks him as Minister of Information and Culture.

However, the Majority Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele of Ekiti Central Senatorial District, who spoke for the Ekiti State caucus in the upper chamber, said that the Plateau Senator has introduced politics into the screening process by requesting that Alake recite the national anthem, which other nominees have done.

Bamidele asked Akpabio to withdraw the request, which the Senate President did.”Even if you ask me as Senate President to recite the second stanza, I will do so on the spur of the moment.” “Every adult in Nigeria is expected to know the stanzas,” the Senate President remarked. We are here to discuss how to move our country ahead and to ask the nominees what they will bring to the table to help us get out of this economic bind. It is not required to sing songs.”

Mwadkwon persisted and demanded that Alake answer if it is true or not that he referred to his principal’s opponents as “wild dogs” during the electioneering process earlier this year. However, Akpabio intervened and inquired.

“Dele Alake, I have watched you over the years and we don’t have any doubt about your capacity to handle any portfolio,” Akpabio stated after preventing the presidential spokesman from reading the second stanza of the national anthem. The Senate President then asked Alake to take a bow, and the over-an-hour exercise came to an end with the gesture.