President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will deliver a national broadcast on Thursday morning, June 12, as Nigeria marks its 2025 Democracy Day. The speech, scheduled for 7 a.m., is part of activities commemorating over two decades of democratic governance.
According to an official release from the Democracy Day Inter-Ministerial Committee, the President will later attend a joint session of the National Assembly by noon at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
Unlike previous years, there will be no ceremonial parade. Instead, a public lecture will take place at the State House Conference Centre at 4 p.m. The lecture is themed “Consolidating on the Gains of Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms.”
This year marks 26 years since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999. Democracy Day, which was originally celebrated on May 29, was shifted to June 12 in 2018 to honour the annulled 1993 election, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s fairest, by the late Chief MKO Abiola.
President Tinubu, who came into office in 2023, will be marking his third Democracy Day as leader of the country. However, while the government celebrates democratic continuity, critics have raised concerns about its quality. Some public figures, including opposition voices, have warned that democratic principles appear increasingly weakened, with citizens facing rising hardship and political disillusionment.