June 12: Nigeria marks 26 years of democracy as Tinubu prepares national broadcast

President Bola Tinubu will address the nation at 7 am on Thursday, June 12, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 2025 Democracy Day celebration.

This was according to a statement issued on Wednesday, June 11, by Abdulhakeem Adeoye, on behalf of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Democracy Day.

After the national broadcast, Tinubu is expected to attend a joint session of the National Assembly at the complex in Abuja at noon. However, the committee confirmed there will be no Democracy Day parade this year.

The day’s activities will conclude with a public lecture at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja at 4 pm. The lecture, themed “Consolidating on the Gains of Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms,” aims to reflect on Nigeria’s democratic journey.

This year’s celebration marks 26 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria, following the end of military rule in 1999.

Immortalisation of MKO Abiola

Originally commemorated on May 29—the day of presidential and gubernatorial inaugurations—the date was shifted to June 12 in 2018 to honour the annulled 1993 presidential election won by MKO Abiola, which is widely regarded as Nigeria’s fairest poll.

The 2025 Democracy Day event is the third under President Tinubu, who took office in 2023 after winning a tightly contested election.

Despite more than two decades of democratic rule, concerns remain about the state of Nigeria’s democracy.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Dele Momodu, a publisher and chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), cautioned that the nation risks sliding into civilian dictatorship.

“I’m very happy that today coincides with the lead-up to June 12, so that if we still have any iota of conscience left, we’ll realise we have damaged this democracy,” Momodu said.

“The summary of it all is that on the eve of June 12, Nigeria is virtually back to civilian dictators who don’t care how you feel or what you think. Nigerians are hungry. We’ve damaged this democracy, and I hope we’ve not damaged it beyond repair,” he warned.