“We are also celebrating the day to pay tribute to MKO Abiola, the winner of the 1993 presidential election and also to other Nigerians who lost their lives during the struggle
- Buahri to Hold National Broadcast On Sunday
The Federal Government today, Thursday, reeled out the activities to celebrate year 2022, June 12, the day that has been pronounced the new Nigeria’s Democracy Day since 2018.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed while addressing journalists at the Press Centre, Radio House Abuja, said, “As you may recollect, President Muhammadu Buhari, in June 2018, directed that Nigeria’s Democracy Day being marked every May 29th, be shifted to June 12 in honour of the late Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, popularly called MKO, the winner of the 1993 presidential election”.
Mohammed said in compliance with the presidential directive, Democracy Day has been celebrated annually on June 12.
“This year’s celebration will mark the fourth time that the Day will be marked on June 12, following celebrations in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
“Following extensive work by an inter-ministerial committee, the following programmes have been scheduled to celebrate the 2022 Democracy Day.
“This Press Conference officially kickstarts the programme of activities. A public lecture is scheduled to hold tomorrow, Friday 10th June, at the National Mosque here in Abuja at 9 am.
“This will be followed, on the same day and the same venue, by a Juma’at Service at noon. On Sunday, June 12, there will be a presidential broadcast in the morning.
“There will also be a Church Service at the National Christian Centre at 3 pm. Then on Monday, June 13th, a Ceremonial Parade will be held at the Eagle Square starting from 9 am”, he added.
The Minister assured that there would be maximum security during the ceremony, while attendance will be strictly on the invitation with full compliance with the Covid-19 protocols.
“You could recall that a National Convention of the ruling party was held in Abuja that brought many people together at the Eagle Square and there was no any issue of security threat for the three days the Convention lasted. “
Minister responding to a question as to what Nigeria is celebrating giving the various challenges Nigeria is facing as a country, Minister said, ““No government before now had the courage to declare June 12 as Democracy Day. It took the courage of President Mohammadu Buhari to do so.
“We are also celebrating the day to pay tribute to MKO Abiola, the winner of the 1993 presidential election and also to other Nigerians who lost their lives during the struggle,” he said.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari 2018, had announced that Nigeria would henceforth celebrate Democracy Day on 12 June every year which was in honour of Later Moshood Abiola whose election was annulled on June 12 1993.
Formally, Nigeria celebrates its Democracy Day on May 29th which was significant to May 29th 1999 when former President Olusegun Obasanjo assumed office as a civilian after many years of military rule in the country.
It is a tradition that has been held annually, beginning in year 2000. June 12 was formerly known as Abiola Day, celebrated in Lagos, Nigeria and some south western states of Nigeria. Nigeria’s Democracy Day is a public holiday to commemorate the restoration of democracy in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Democracy day in Nigeria has recently become a routine of parades and speeches, reminding us of the sacrifices of our heroes’ past and the transitioning to the longest civilian government the country has experienced in 1999. It is however worthy of note that June 12 was formerly celebrated as ‘Abiola Day’ in some southwestern states of Nigeria, before it was declared as the new democracy day on June 6, 2018, by the President Buhari-Led Federal Government.
June 12 symbolizes much more than what May 29 stood for; it commemorates what is adjudged to this day to be Nigeria’s freest democratic election.
