President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will address the nation at 7 a.m. on Thursday, June 12, as part of the official activities lined up to commemorate the 2025 Democracy Day celebration in Nigeria.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Wednesday by Abdulhakeem Adeoye, on behalf of the Director of Information and Public Relations for the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Democracy Day.
Following his national broadcast, President Tinubu is scheduled to attend a joint session of the National Assembly at noon at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
Adeoye further announced that, unlike previous editions, this year’s Democracy Day will not feature a parade. However, activities will continue with a public lecture at 4 p.m. at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. The lecture, themed “Consolidating on the Gains of Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms,” will highlight key reflections on the state of Nigeria’s democratic journey.
This year marks 26 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria since the end of military rule in 1999. Democracy Day, which was previously celebrated on May 29—the official inauguration day for presidents, governors, and lawmakers—was moved to June 12 in 2018 to honour the late MKO Abiola, winner of the annulled 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as one of the freest and fairest polls in Nigeria’s history.
The 2025 Democracy Day celebration will be the third under President Tinubu’s administration since he took office in 2023 following a closely contested election.
Yet, even as Nigeria marks over two decades of democratic governance, concerns persist over the state of the nation’s democracy. Notably, opposition figure and publisher, Dele Momodu, raised alarm over what he termed a drift towards civilian dictatorship.
Speaking during a live interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Momodu criticized the political climate, warning of eroding democratic values.
> “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.
He added: “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.”
As Nigeria reflects on 26 years of civil rule, citizens, political stakeholders, and democracy advocates continue to debate the nation’s progress and the need for enduring reforms to strengthen governance, accountability, and citizen welfare.
