The Federal Government on Thursday confirmed a list of activities for the 2022 June 12 Democracy Day celebration in Nigeria.
The decision according to the government was to honour late MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election which was annulled by the former military president of Nigeria, Ibrahim Babangida before official results were declared
Ahead of this year’s Democracy Day, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, while addressing the press today at Radio House in Abuja said activities for the event would include a public lecture at the National Mosque on Friday and Jumaat prayers on the same day and venue on June 10, 2022.
He said the event would continue on Sunday morning as President Muhammadu Buhari would address the nation through a live broadcast by 7:00 am.
According to Mohammed, a church service at the National Christian Centre will follow by 3 pm on Sunday, June 12, 2022. He said there would also be a Democracy Day parade at the Eagle Square in Abuja on Monday morning. Mohammed assured that all events would be held without any security breaches.
The Minister boasts that no government had immortalised MKO Abiola more than Buhari’s regime.
Truetells Nigeria recalls that President Buhari had also honoured Abiola with a posthumous award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic.
Speaking further about the activities for the 2022 June 12 Democracy Day, Mohammed said “Attendance at the events are strictly by invitation and in line with the COVID-19 protocol”.
The Minister noted that whatever the Federal Government was doing was to celebrate that day in memory of Abiola, as well as many other heroes, many Nigerian students, and democrats worth celebrating.
“So, I think the Federal Government has done enough in addition to the fact that several state governments have followed suit. We have in our small way be courageous enough to declare this day a public holiday, I think it is the best gift to any Nigerian,” Mohammed added.