President Bola Tinubu will deliver a national broadcast at 7am on Thursday, June 12, to mark Nigeria’s 2025 Democracy Day.
This announcement came on Wednesday from the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Democracy Day.
Abdulhakeem Adeoye signed the statement on behalf of the committee’s Director of Information and Public Relations.
According to the schedule, President Tinubu will also attend a joint session of the National Assembly at noon in Abuja.
The committee stated that there will be no Democracy Day parade this year.
However, the programme includes a public lecture scheduled for 4pm at the State House Conference Centre.
The lecture’s theme is: “Consolidating on the Gains of Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms.”
This year marks 26 consecutive years of democracy in Nigeria since the end of military rule in 1999.
Democracy Day was initially held on May 29 to coincide with the swearing-in of elected leaders.
However, in 2018, the government moved it to June 12 to honour the annulled 1993 election.
MKO Abiola, widely believed to have won that election, remains a symbol of democratic struggle in Nigeria.
The June 12 vote is still considered the fairest in Nigeria’s history.
This 2025 celebration will be President Tinubu’s third Democracy Day since assuming office in May 2023.
Despite progress, critics argue that Nigeria’s democracy is faltering.
Dele Momodu, a PDP chieftain and media figure, voiced his concern during a Channels Television programme on Wednesday.
He warned that Nigeria is drifting toward civilian dictatorship.
“If we have any conscience left, we’ll see we’ve damaged this democracy,” he said.
He also accused political leaders of ignoring public suffering.
“Nigerians are hungry, and our leaders don’t care how we feel,” Momodu added.
