By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
PRESIDENT BOLA Tinubu will deliver a national broadcast at 7.00a.m. on Thursday to commemorate the 2025 Democracy Day celebration, a moment marking over two decades of uninterrupted civilian rule in Nigeria.
His remarks will precede a noon appearance before a joint session of the National Assembly at the complex in Abuja.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Democracy Day, through a statement released by Abdulhakeem Adeoye on behalf of the Director of Information and Public Relations, confirmed the president’s itinerary for the day.
The address will set the tone for a series of symbolic events—though there will be no traditional parade this year.
By 4 p.m., a public lecture is scheduled at the State House Conference Centre, where stakeholders are expected to reflect on the theme: “Consolidating on the Gains of Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms.”
This year’s observance is the third Democracy Day under Tinubu’s administration, which began in 2023 following a tightly contested election.
It also marks 26 years since Nigeria exited military rule in 1999 and began its Fourth Republic, an era consistently hailed as the nation’s longest stretch of civilian governance.
The federal government shifted Democracy Day from May 29 to June 12 in 2018 to honour the memory of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled 1993 presidential election widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history.
Despite the symbolic weight of the celebration, critical voices have emerged questioning the direction of democratic governance in the country.
Speaking on national television, opposition figure and publisher Dele Momodu issued a stark warning, accusing the current political elite of fostering a new form of authoritarianism under the guise of civilian rule.
Momodu’s comments have underscored the simmering public concern about governance standards, citizen welfare, and institutional accountability as the nation continues to reflect on its democratic journey.
