June 12: Buhari addresses nation Friday

President Muhammadu Buhari will broadcast to the nation on Friday, June 12, 2020 at 7:00am to commemorate Nigeria’s Democracy Day.

A presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, in a statement on Thursday, urged television and radio stations as well as other electronic media outlets to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority and Radio Nigeria respectively for the broadcast.

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Already, the federal government had declared Friday, June 12, as public holiday to mark this year’s Democracy Day Celebration.

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who made the declaration on behalf of the federal government, congratulated all Nigerians at home and abroad for the entrenchment of democratic rule in the country.

Aregbesola lauded the heroes of democracy for their dogged determination and sacrifice which eventually birthed democratic governance in Nigeria.

A statement signed by the permanent secretary in the ministry, Mrs Georgina Ehuriah quoted Aregbesola as calling on all Nigerians to continue to cherish the selfless efforts made to attain democracy.

He also urged Nigerians to collaborate with the Buhari-led administration to ensure the realisation of the democratic ideals which these patriots fought for, even at the cost of their lives.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2018 declared June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, in place of May 29, the anniversary of the inauguration of the Fourth Republic, which since 2000 had been marked as Nigeria’s Democracy Day.

Buhari made the change in honour of the memory of Moshood Abiola, who won the June 12, 1993 election that was annulled by the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida.

Abiola eventually died in detention on July 8, 1998.