ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR

AT THE JOINT SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN COMMEMORATION OF DEMOCRACY DAY, 2025
With profound honour, I stand before this joint session of our National Assembly; a parliament that embodies the will of the Nigerian people.

1. Today, as I entered this grand edifice built from the sweat and toil of our democratic yearning, my heart stirred. It was a blend of accomplishment and resolve.
2. I felt a sense of collective accomplishment when I realised how far we had come as a nation. Since 1999, democracy has risen from the ashes and destitution of military rule to take its rightful place as the only mode of governance of our resilient and beloved people.
3. With every footstep I took through these hallowed halls up to the moment I now stand before you, I remembered that we still have much further to go.
4. To achieve this progress, we sought an elective office to lead this nation forward. Thus, I hereby affirm before our Merciful and Almighty God and all men my resolve to do all that I can to safeguard and build our democracy as the Divine hand intends for us to do.
5. Since 2018, we have celebrated Democracy Day on this day; to commemorate the sacrifices of the men and women who fought to restore democratic governance to Nigeria.
6. Let me pay tribute to former President Muhammadu Buhari for reaching back into history to rectify a national misdeed by making June 12 Democracy Day and by officially acknowledging Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola and his running mate, Babagana Kingibe, as the victors and thus duly elected President and Vice President respectively of Nigeria after the June 12, 1993 elections.
7. Year by year, election after election, every time we debate instead of battle, discuss instead of fight, and argue instead of destroy, we preserve the institutions of democracy. More importantly, we weave the culture of democracy into the very fabric of our nation.
8. Whilst Chief MKO Abiola is June 12’s central figure, we must not forget the long list of those who equally deserve to be called heroes of Nigerian democracy.
9. We must celebrate the courage of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola and Pa Alfred Rewane, both of whom were murdered by agents of military repression. We also remember the many civil rights activists, journalists, and politicians imprisoned, exiled, tossed aside, tortured and beaten by the military regime.
10. We remember Chief Anthony Enahoro, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Chief Abraham Adesanya, Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Balarabe Musa, Ganiyu Dawodu, the journalist Bagauda Kaltho, and Commodore Ndubuisi Kanu. I mention these names not to exclude or degrade the profound contributions of anyone else, but to illustrate, through these few heroes, the universality of our pursuit of democracy.
11. The struggle was never the province of any one group or section of the country, it was pan-Nigerian in its conception and will be even more pan-Nigerian as we strive to perfect it.
12. It is fitting that I come to this chamber. You are the authors of the people’s law, and I must be their faithful implementer. While we may not always agree, we must forge a way to work together because this is what democracy demands of us. I pledge myself to this cooperation and ask that you do the same for the good of our people.
13. Mr. Chairman, the National Assembly has acted to uphold democratic ideals at every critical moment in our national history. In 2006, the 5th National Assembly protected our democracy against an unseemly third-term bid that would have ripped our constitution apart. In 2010, the National Assembly, through the doctrine of necessity, opened the door for then-Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to become the acting President following the illness of his predecessor.
14. Even under the military, the National Assembly tried to protect our democracy. After General Abacha took over power on November 17, 1993, and dissolved the National Assembly, some of us, led by Senator Ameh Ebute, the Senate President in the 3rd Republic, defied the General and his goons to reconvene in the Old Parliament Building in Lagos. We were jailed for our defiance.
15. On behalf of a grateful nation, I commend your invaluable role in lawmaking, oversight, and constituency representation.
16. At this point, I plead for your indulgence so that I may put a terrible rumour to bed.
17. To those who ring the alarm that the APC is intent on a one-party state, I offer you a most personal promise. While your alarm may be as a result of your panic, it rings in error. At no time in the past, nor any instance in the present, and at no future juncture shall I view the notion of a one-party state as good for Nigeria. I have never attempted to alter any political party registration with INEC. Equally, my friends, we cannot blame anybody seeking to bail out of a sinking ship even without a life jacket.
18. Look at my political history. I would be the last person to advocate such a scheme. In 2003, when the then-governing party tried to sweep the nation clean of political opposition through plot and manipulation, I was the last of the progressive governors standing in my region.
19. In all their numbers and false grandeur, they boasted of ruling, not governing, Nigeria for the next half century or more. Where are they now?
20. Yet, I stood alone. My allies had been induced into defeat. My adversaries held all the cards that mortal man could carry. Even with all of that, they could not control our national destiny because fate is written from above. A greater power did not want Nigeria to become a one-party state back then. Nigeria will not become such a state now.
21. A one-party state is not in the offing. Nor should it ever be. That said, we would be guilty of political malpractice if we closed the door on those from other parties who now seek to join the APC and I sincerely welcome our party’s newest members from Delta and Akwa Ibom States led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Pastor Umo Eno and other members of this National Assembly.
22. Governance must work and deliver value to the people. As part of our tax reforms, we have provided small businesses with an exemption and established the Office of the Tax Ombudsman to ensure transparency and protect taxpayer rights. Digital tools now help us track performance and reduce waste. The Diaspora Bond and Non-Resident BVN are bringing Nigerians abroad into the national development fold.
23. Let us take this opportunity to thank the men and women of our Armed Forces for their bravery in service of the nation. Their selfless dedication to protecting our sovereignty and ensuring the safety of citizens should serve as an inspiration to us all. As we celebrate the progress of our democracy, we must not forget the pivotal role they play in safeguarding our freedoms. For their courage and commitment, they deserve not only our gratitude but also our continued support, prayers and recognition.
24. As we mark a twenty-sixth year of unbroken democracy, it is right to honour those who have made sacrifices in the past, braving all the odds and the guns to ensure we have a regime of democracy in our country.
25. In this light, I announce the conferment of the posthumous national honour of CFR on Kudirat Abiola, the heroine of the June 12 struggle, along with a list of other distinguished individuals.
26. Additionally, I confer the national honour of CON on Uncle Sam Amuka Pemu, a legendary journalist, as he turns 90.
27. Posthumous honours were also awarded to Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni Nine martyrs, granting them full pardons under presidential prerogative.
28. Finally, it is my great privilege to decorate the presiding officers of the National Assembly with national honours earlier conferred upon them.
29. In conclusion, let us rededicate ourselves to the ideals of June 12: freedom, transparent and accountable government, social justice, active citizen participation, and a just society where no one is oppressed.
30. Happy Democracy Day, and may God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria and protect our troops.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
President, Commander‑in‑Chief of the Armed Forces,
Federal Republic of Nigeria