The Nigeria Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to revert to Nigeria’s old national anthem.

The old anthem “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” was replaced with the current one “Arise, O Compatriots” in 1978 during the Olusegun Obasanjo regime.

Our correspondent, Raliat Adenekan reports that the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele who sponsored the bill, explained that the old anthem contributed immensely to the national identity and unity of Nigerians than the existing anthem.

The lawmakers, asserted that the current national anthem is a product of the military junta, and therefore should be discarded to adequately capture the nation’s democratic values, integrity and principally foster commitment to nationhood.

After a rigorous debate, Senate President Godswil Akpabio referred the proposed bill to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to report back for further legislative input.