The announcement was made in a statement on Wednesday by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF). According to the statement, the change is due to President Tinubu’s scheduled appearance before a joint session of the National Assembly on the same day.

“President Bola Ahmed will deliver his address from the National Assembly. All other plans are in order as announced earlier.”

The president had initially been billed to address the nation at 7 am before attending the joint session later in the day.

The inter-ministerial committee on Democracy Day had earlier released the list of activities lined up for the celebration in a statement issued by Abdulhakeem Adeoye on behalf of the director of information and public relations.

Adeoye had in the statement noted that there would be no parade this year to mark the day.

He said a public lecture would be held at 4 pm at the State House conference centre in Abuja.

This year’s event marks 26 years of uninterrupted democratic governance since the end of military rule in 1999.

Democracy Day was previously marked on May 29, the swearing-in date for elected officials, until former President Muhammadu Buhari moved it to June 12 in 2018.
“Due to H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, scheduled attendance at the National Assembly Joint Session, the Presidential National Broadcast on June 12 has been cancelled,” the statement reads.

The theme of the lecture is “Consolidating on the Gains of Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms”.

The shift was in honour of the annulled 1993 presidential election won by the late MKO Abiola, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll.