June 12 will now serve a dual purpose in Nigeria’s democratic calendar, not just as Democracy Day, but also as the official date when the President will address a joint session of the National Assembly.
The decision was formally adopted on Thursday, June 12, during a special sitting to mark Democracy Day at the National Assembly in Abuja. President Bola Tinubu was present and delivered a commemorative speech to lawmakers.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio made the announcement after a motion was raised by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
“Mr President, in the eloquent speech by the Honourable Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, he raised a motion that June 12 should be formalised as the Presidential Day of Address to the joint session of the National Assembly. I hereby put the question,” Akpabio said.
Following a chorus of “Aye” from lawmakers in support of the motion, Akpabio declared, “The ‘Ayes’ have it.”
He turned to President Tinubu and added, “Mr President, that is the motion of the National Assembly, done in your presence. Mr Speaker, the statistics do not lie, we are quite happy with the data you rolled out and the House that we all run.”
Earlier in the week, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele hinted at the plan, telling journalists that a bill was already being drafted to formally establish the June 12 presidential address as an annual tradition.
“We are hoping to bring a bill soon to institutionalise the President’s address on June 12 because of its historical importance.
“There can’t be a better time to address the nation through the Parliament than on June 12, especially since it is a joint sitting of the National Assembly,” Bamidele said.
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He also revealed that the proposed legislation would recommend the National Assembly complex as the official venue for future presidential inaugurations.
“In that bill, we are hoping to ensure that the swearing-in ceremony of the next President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria, whom we believe will be President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will be held within the arcade of the National Assembly,” he stated.
During Thursday’s address, President Tinubu also conferred national honours on key figures in Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement.
Among them was the late Kudirat Abiola, wife of the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 election, Chief MKO Abiola.
Others honoured included the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the electoral commission chairman who oversaw the historic vote.
June 12 became central to Nigeria’s political history after the 1993 election, regarded by many as the country’s freest and fairest, was controversially annulled by military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida.
The fallout led to protests, arrests, and political repression, particularly targeting MKO Abiola, who later died in detention.
In 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari officially declared June 12 as Democracy Day, replacing May 29, as a way of honouring Abiola’s legacy and acknowledging the pro-democracy struggle.
The decision by lawmakers to make June 12 the day for presidential addresses is now seen as another symbolic move to reinforce Nigeria’s democratic journey and acknowledge the sacrifices that made it possible.