12th June 2020 was the second time in history of Nigeria that would be celebrated as Democracy Day and a national public holiday, although it is the first since it officially became law. Initially the Democracy was celebrated annually on May 29th, to symbolize the day the military eventually handed power over to civilian rule in 1999.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on June 6, 2018 declared June 12 as the new Democracy day. A bill was sent to the National Assembly to that effect and it became law after it was passed by the Senate on May 16, 2019, after the House of Representative had amended the bill to shift Democracy Day from May 29 to June 12 in December 2018.
Since 1999 the Southwest Governors annually marked June 12 as MKO Abiola Day to commemorate the June 12 election, but in 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari signed a bill passed by the National Assembly to recognize June 12 as the Democracy Day instead of May 29th.
Proponents of democratic development and evolution in Nigeria, especially those from the South West geo-political zone, canvassed since 1999 that democracy day should be celebrated on June 12 to mark the anniversary of the election that was acclaimed to be the most free and fair in the history of electoral processes in the country.
Another circumstance that made the date symbolic was the mysterious death of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, late Moshood Kashimawo OlawaleAbiola, Popularly called MKO Abiola, who died in incarceration agitating for pushing for the actualization his victory at the polls.
Not only did President Buhari recognized June 12 as Democracy Day, he also went ahead to honour the late Abiola with a posthumous conferment of the highest national award, Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), the honour exclusively reserved for Presidents of the country.
Like most democrats, IMPACT NEWS believes that President Buhari’s move not only engendered unity in the country, it also healed old wounds. Although he did not verbally declare MKO Abiola as a former President, the conferment of the title, GCFR, shows that Buhari recognized the winner of the 1993 Presidential election as President-elect of the country, even if he was not sworn into office.
The 2020 Democracy Day Celebration was low key and marked with only a national broadcast by the president. This is not unconnected with the current global covid-19 pandemic that has also infected over 20,000 Nigerians. In his Democracy Day speech, Buhari assured Nigerians that his administration would always be governed by the Rule of Law and he would do his utmost to uphold the constitution and protect the lives and properties of all Nigerians.
IMPACT NEWS also holds that sacrifices of the heroes of democracy should not be in vain. It is important that all Nigerians must actively participate in politics to ensure decision making is all inclusive and not obnoxious and self-serving to those at the corridors of power.
Rather than just a day to celebrate Democracy in Nigeria, June 12 should be a day for national reflection on the democratic journey. The heroes of June 12 agitated for a better Nigeria governed by the will of the people in a democracy. The day should be celebrated with a critical reflection on the need to deepen our democracy, practice true federalism and promote nationalistic ideology instead of ethnocentric ideas.
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