President Bola Tinubu has cancelled the earlier scheduled nationwide broadcast to mark this year’s Democracy Day and will now address Nigerians through a joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday, June 12.
The development was confirmed in a statement released by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Segun Imohiosen, on Tuesday. The presidency attributed the change to the President’s confirmed attendance at the special session of the National Assembly, where he is expected to deliver his Democracy Day speech.
According to the statement, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will now address the nation through the National Assembly as part of the events lined up for the 2024 Democracy Day celebration. All other plans remain unchanged as previously announced.”
This year’s celebration, marking the 26th anniversary of Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, is themed “Consolidating on the Gains of Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms.” The theme underscores the administration’s commitment to reinforcing democratic principles through sustained institutional and structural reforms.
President Tinubu’s address before the lawmakers is expected to centre on the government’s reform initiatives, the imperative of national cohesion, and the shared role of citizens and public institutions in nurturing and safeguarding the country’s democratic journey.
June 12 was officially recognised as Democracy Day by the Federal Government in remembrance of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election, adjudged by many as the freest and fairest in the nation’s history.
The President’s engagement with the legislative arm on such a significant day is seen as symbolic of the democratic ethos his administration seeks to uphold.