Tinubu to address NASS on June 12, confer honours on lawmakers

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to address a special joint session of the National Assembly on June 12 in celebration of Nigeria’s Democracy Day.

This was disclosed in a statement released by the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, on Sunday. According to Rotimi, the development was initially communicated to lawmakers through an internal memo issued by the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Danzaria.

The special session will take place in the House of Representatives chamber at the National Assembly Complex. Preliminary proceedings are expected to begin at 11 a.m., ahead of President Tinubu’s arrival at noon.

With the theme “26 Years of Democracy: Renewing Our Commitment to National Development,” the event will mark a significant milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey since the return to civilian rule in 1999.

President Tinubu will deliver a keynote address during the session and will also confer national honours on selected legislators. The programme will feature goodwill messages from former presiding officers of the National Assembly, highlighting the progress and resilience of the country’s democratic institutions.

June 12 was declared Democracy Day by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018, replacing the former date of May 29. The decision was made to honour the late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election widely regarded as one of the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history.