Presidency Releases Programme of Events for Democracy Day

The Presidency has released the official programme of events for the 2025 Democracy Day celebration, scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 12. The announcement was made in a statement issued by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Democracy Day and signed by Abdulhakeem Adeoye on behalf of the Director of Information and Public Relations.

The day will begin with a national broadcast by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at 7:00 a.m. The address is expected to focus on Nigeria’s democratic journey, highlight the achievements and ongoing reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda, and reaffirm the administration’s dedication to democratic governance.

This year, there will be no ceremonial parade. However, President Tinubu will participate in two major public engagements to mark the occasion. At 12 noon, he will attend a Joint Session of the National Assembly at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja. This special sitting is intended to symbolize the cooperation between the Executive and the Legislature in strengthening the country’s democracy.

Later in the day, by 4:00 p.m., a public lecture will be held at the State House Conference Centre, also in Abuja. The lecture, themed “Consolidating on the Gains of Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms,” will address the importance of institutional and policy reforms in sustaining democratic progress.

Media coverage of the day’s events at the State House will be coordinated by accredited State House correspondents. Media houses interested in live coverage have been instructed to submit the names of their Outside Broadcast (OB) crew and correspondents to the Directorate of Information and Public Relations no later than 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The statement urged all media personnel to ensure professional coordination and timely logistics.

This year’s celebration marks the second Democracy Day under President Tinubu’s administration and comes at a time of heightened national discussions around constitutional reform, governance, and efforts to promote unity.

Democracy Day, commemorated every June 12, honors the legacy of the 1993 presidential election, widely considered the most credible in Nigeria’s history. The presumed winner, the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, was denied victory following the annulment of the election by the military regime. The aftermath sparked a pro-democracy movement that ultimately led to the restoration of civilian rule in 1999.