Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has drawn attention after reportedly leading supporters in reciting Nigeria's former national anthem rather than the current one.

What happened

A video from the party's town hall meeting in Oregun, Lagos, on Thursday, 12 November 2026, which went viral afterwards, shows Obi and the NDC's Lagos governorship candidate, Funso Doherty, choosing not to recite the current anthem when attendees were asked to stand for it. Instead, they and the crowd recited the old anthem, 'Arise O Compatriots', together.

The anthem change

Nigeria replaced 'Arise O Compatriots', which had been in use since 1978, with its original post-independence anthem, 'Nigeria We Hail Thee', in May 2024. President Bola Tinubu signed the change into law after the bill passed quickly through the National Assembly. The speed of the change drew criticism at the time.

Response

Neither Obi's campaign nor the APC had commented on the video at the time of writing.

Background

The same town hall meeting was disrupted earlier in the day by suspected thugs, before it went ahead. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate violence at political rallies, meetings and processions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The motion

On Thursday, 12 November 2026, the House adopted a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Minority Leader Frederick Agbedi and 16 other lawmakers. It directed its committees on Police Affairs and on National Security and Intelligence to examine the causes of the violence and recommend ways to prevent further attacks. A principal officer of the House will lead the inquiry, and the committees are to report within three weeks.

Incidents cited

Presenting the motion, Agbedi pointed to an attack during a political procession in Asaba, Delta State, on 7 November, which police said left one person dead and five injured; violence at an APC rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on 4 November; an attack on APC supporters travelling to a rally in Katsina State on 28 October, after which police reportedly arrested 14 suspects; and the disruption of political meetings in Enugu State in September.

Background

The motion came on the same day suspected thugs stormed a Nigeria Democratic Congress town hall in Lagos. The APC presidential campaign council condemned that attack and other recent attacks on supporters across party lines, and urged security agencies to arrest those responsible. The Inspector-General of Police and the European Union have also raised concerns about rising political violence. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

Protesters confronted the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, in London on Thursday, 12 November 2026.

What happened

Amupitan was in London to speak at a panel on Nigeria's preparations for the 2027 elections, hosted by Chatham House and the Kimpact Development Initiative. Nigerian diaspora activists who had mobilised on social media gathered outside the venue and reportedly surrounded his vehicle, accusing the commission of favouring President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and demanding his resignation. They cited duplicate entries and AI-generated images in the preliminary voters' register and alleged fake polling units.

Amupitan's response

At the panel, Amupitan pledged to turn down any political or diplomatic appointment after leaving INEC, saying he wanted to demonstrate his impartiality, and said the commission was introducing technical safeguards. INEC has said it removed 1.6 million invalid records from the register, including entries with manipulated images, and flagged officials in 10 states. Amupitan also again denied operating an X account that had allegedly posted support for the APC during the 2023 elections, saying he had never had an X account and that it was never linked to his email. INEC said in April that the claims were fabricated and that fake accounts had been created in his name.

Background

At the same event, Amupitan said INEC would obey the final court ruling on Atiku Abubakar's candidacy. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will be bound by the final court decision on whether Atiku Abubakar can contest the 2027 presidential election.

What INEC said about Atiku

Speaking in London on Thursday, 12 November 2026, where he was briefing an audience at Chatham House on election preparations, INEC chairman Professor Joash Amupitan said the commission would follow whatever final ruling the courts give in the dispute over Atiku's nomination. A Federal High Court in Abuja on 5 November nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and reportedly voided the primary that produced Atiku as its candidate. The ADC has appealed, and its lawyer has argued that the judgment contained no express order invalidating Atiku's candidacy.

Materials on the move

Separately, INEC National Commissioner Professor Rhoda Gumus said on Thursday that the commission had begun moving non-sensitive election materials to some geopolitical zones. Speaking while receiving a delegation from Kenya's electoral commission, she said INEC had completed nine of the 14 activities on its election timetable, finished producing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and sent the first two batches to most states. She urged registered voters to collect their cards and said staff training was under way.

Background

The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027. Amupitan recently completed a tour of the six geopolitical zones to assess readiness. Separately, a Federal High Court in Kaduna on Thursday nullified an ADC primary in the state, adding to the party's legal troubles.