Tinubu Shifts June 12 Democracy Day Address to National Assembly, Cancels Broadcast

 In a significant departure from tradition, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu canceled his planned June 12, 2025, Democracy Day nationwide broadcast, opting instead to deliver a historic address at a joint session of the National Assembly (NASS) in Abuja, commemorating 26 years of uninterrupted democracy.

The decision, announced by Director of Information Segun Imohiosen on June 11, aligns with a Senate motion to institutionalize such events at NASS, honoring Chief MKO Abiola’s 1993 election annulment, recognized as Democracy Day since 2018. The move, set for noon, underscores Tinubu’s commitment to legislative engagement amid Nigeria’s economic and political challenges, signaling a strategic pivot to project unity and accountability.

The NASS address replaces a 7 AM broadcast and cancels the annual Democracy Day parade at Eagle Square, focusing attention on the joint session, expected to draw senators, representatives, and dignitaries. A preceding public lecture at the State House Conference Centre, themed “Consolidating Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms,” will feature former Senate President David Mark and historian Toyin Falola, emphasizing Abiola’s sacrifice. Tinubu, a pro-democracy activist during the 1990s, is expected to outline his administration’s reform agenda, addressing 34% inflation, naira depreciation at ₦1,600 to $1, and protests over fuel price hikes to ₦1,239 per litre. Senate President Godswill Akpabio lauded the shift, noting NASS’s symbolic role as the people’s voice, while House Speaker Abbas Tajudeen pledged bipartisan support.

Critics, including PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, view the cancellation as a response to public discontent, with Dele Momodu’s warnings of a “civilian dictatorship” looming large. APC’s Ajibola Basiru countered, describing the address as a “masterstroke” to unveil pro-poor policies, possibly expanding CNG transport subsidies. Nigerians, from Abuja’s Wuse Market to Lagos’s Ojota, expressed mixed sentiments, with trader Amina Yusuf demanding tangible relief. The address, televised live on NTA, follows Tinubu’s return from a two-week Lagos break, where he commissioned the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway’s Phase 1. The NASS session, a first for Democracy Day, could reshape Tinubu’s narrative, as he navigates a polarized nation grappling with economic hardship and calls for democratic renewal.