By Barth Ikiebe in Abuja.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will address a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday, June 12, as part of activities marking this year’s Democracy Day celebration.
Akin Rotimi, spokesperson of the House of Representatives, in the statement he issued on Sunday,disclosed that the invitation was conveyed through an internal memorandum signed by Yahaya Danzaria, Clerk of the House.
According to him,President Tinubu is expected to confer national honours on selected lawmakers during the ceremony.
“The special joint sitting is scheduled to hold at the House of Representatives Chamber, National Assembly Complex, beginning at 11:00 a.m., with preliminary proceedings ahead of the arrival of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, at 12:00 noon,” the statement read.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “26 Years of Democracy: Renewing Our Commitment to National Development.”
Tinubu will serve as the Special Guest of Honour and will deliver a presidential address to the joint session.
“The programme will also include goodwill messages from former presiding officers of the National Assembly and the conferment of national honours on selected legislators by the president.
“This joint sitting represents a significant moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey. It underscores the pivotal role of the National Assembly in safeguarding democratic values, fostering accountability, and advancing national development over the past 26 years of uninterrupted civil rule,” the statement added.
Nigeria initially observed Democracy Day on May 29, marking the return to civil rule in 1999. However, in 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari officially shifted the observance to June 12 in honour of the annulled 1993 presidential election widely believed to have been won by Chief M.K.O. Abiola.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
