June 12: Be on The Same Page With Buhari, Tinubu Urges National Assembly

  • Tinubu thanks Buhari for complying with constitution.
  • Hope the National Assembly act with reasonable dispatch in cooperation with the Presidency.

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu has urged the National Assembly to be on the same page with the Presidency in ensuring a constitutional amendment for the establishment of June 12 as the National Democracy Day.

Tinubu’s statement is in reaction to the Federal Government’s movement of most inauguration programmes to June 12, which had been declared democracy day.

iDONSABI reports that the minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed had unveiled the government’s decision to move the second term inauguration ceremonies to June 12 saying the Buhari administration will hold a low-key ceremony on May 29, which the Constitution recognises as the inauguration day of a new political dispensation and hinted that other activities would be shifted to June 12 but that President Buhari will take the mandatory Oath of Office on May 29.

While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for taking what he called an important step towards full recognition of June 12 as Democracy Day, a statement from Tinubu Media Office on Tuesday, signed by Tunde Rahman, the APC stalwart said: “President Buhari and the Federal Government deserve thanks and commendation. President Muhammadu Buhari deserves our thanks and congratulations for taking another important step towards fully recognising June 12 as Democracy Day in our country.

“The government moved the second term inauguration ceremonies to June 12 while events on May 29 would now be low-key swearing ceremonies in order to comply with the constitutional requirements covering the length of term for elected office-holders.

“By this wise yet visionary decision, the President has scored double: first he has accorded respect to the Constitution, which recognises May 29 as the date to inaugurate new terms of office while at the same time ensuring the country moves on the rightful path to formalising June 12 as new Democracy Day. This decision soundly balances current legal requirements with the quest for political justice.

“For this feat in moving the country in the right direction, President Buhari and the Federal Government deserve commendation.”

The former Lagos Governor said June 12 represents an important milestone in the annals of Nigeria’s democratic journey.

“It was the day Nigerians shunned ethnicity and religion to vote for that leader of their choice in an election adjudged clearly free and fair.

“To complete this process that the President has started via Executive Order, we hope that the National Assembly act with reasonable dispatch in cooperation with the Presidency to assure that the requisite constitutional amendments are enacted to fully establish June 12 as Democracy Day.

“As Nigerians, we have a role to play: rededicate ourselves to democracy, peaceful co-existence, togetherness and the hope for a greater future, all of which June 12 represented,” he said.

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