No morning broadcast or no parade. Just a speech from Parliament. On Nigeria’s most symbolic democracy holiday, the president skipped tradition, and it’s raising eyebrows.
June 12 has always been more than another public holiday. It’s a feeling, a flashback to the ghost of a nation that could’ve been. And this year, instead of echoing that spirit with official fanfare, President Bola Tinubu quietly pulled back. No early-morning national address. No military spectacle. Just a mid-day visit to the National Assembly and a closed-door lecture later at the State House.
It might seem like a simple change of schedule, but in a year like this, with a restless public and growing discontent, it feels like a signal.
The Story Behind the Day
Democracy Day wasn’t always June 12. For nearly two decades, we celebrated on May 29, the day Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in in 1999, marking the end of military rule.
But that never sat right with many Nigerians. Not when June 12, 1993, was the day Nigerians, across tribe, religion, and class voted overwhelmingly for Moshood Kashimawo Abiola. It was the freest election the country had ever seen. It was also the one that got annulled by the military. Abiola was arrested, the democracy everyone longed for was delayed, and hope was dragged through the streets.
In 2018, Buhari shifted the date to honour that sacrifice. But honouring history means more than changing calendars. It means defending the spirit behind the story.
A Nation Still Waiting for Its Promise
If we are being honest, most Nigerians today don’t need a parade to know the country’s not alright.
Fuel has escalated, the naira is constantly auditioning for a crash. Students are restless, graduates are jobless, and food prices are performing magic tricks; always disappearing from the average person’s budget.
So when the government announced it was scrapping the traditional parade and national address, some Nigerians shrugged. “Democracy ke? What am I celebrating inside hunger?” one X user wrote.
But others saw something deeper. A pulling back by a presidency that’s wary of facing a skeptical public and a holiday that’s beginning to feel more like an obligation than a commitment.
The Bigger Problem: A Fading Symbol
Here’s the real question: Is Democracy Day still a symbol of hope, or has it become a yearly PR campaign for a democracy that’s barely functioning?
In theory, we’re supposed to be celebrating the progress we’ve made since military rule. But in reality, we’re still dealing with:
- Contested elections.
- A judiciary many no longer trust.
- Civil liberties under threat.
- A widening gap between leadership and the people.
Even the very thing that made June 12 iconic; the sanctity of the ballot, feels fragile. Courtroom battles and INEC inconsistencies have made many Nigerians lose faith in elections entirely.
So when a sitting president cancels the traditional national address, people notice. It feels like silence where there should be accountability.
But Maybe… There’s a Way Through
Still, there’s something worth salvaging here.
The theme of this year’s Democracy Day lecture, “Consolidating on the Gains of Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms”, isn’t bad. It literally just translates to “Let’s hold on to the progress we’ve made and make big, lasting changes so we don’t slide backwards.” and this suggests the government knows things aren’t great. And maybe, just maybe, there’s an opening for actual change.
Enduring reforms could mean:
- Electoral reforms that truly reflect the people’s will.
- Judicial reforms to restore public trust.
- Transparency around security spending and infrastructure.
- Intentional efforts to include young people, not just as voters, but as shapers of the system.
But reform won’t come from closed-door speeches or ceremonial lectures. It needs will and it needs discomfort. It needs leaders who see criticism not as an attack, but as feedback from the people they serve.
What Comes Next Is Up to Us
If we’re going to keep calling June 12 “Democracy Day,” we have to mean it.
That means citizens staying politically engaged, not just online, but in communities. It means calling out injustice, showing up to vote, volunteering in local campaigns, joining town halls, organizing protests, watching budgets, and pushing for accountability.
It means remembering that democracy isn’t a gift from the government. It’s a demand from the people.
So maybe a parade was never the point. Maybe what we need is something noisier; truth, pressure, and persistent participation.
Tinubu may have skipped the broadcast, but the message is still out there. Are we listening? Are we acting?
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