The Nigerian Senate is weighing a new legislative proposal that would require the President to deliver an annual address on June 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day, in a bid to deepen democratic culture.
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed the plans on Tuesday, noting that lawmakers are preparing a bill that would formalize the annual address and shift the traditional venue of presidential inaugurations from Eagle Square to the National Assembly Complex.
“We are hoping to bring a bill soon to institutionalize the President’s address on June 12 because of its historical importance,” Bamidele stated.
According to him, the move aims to make June 12, a date that commemorates the annulled 1993 presidential election widely considered the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, a moment for national reflection, unity, and policy communication.
He added that holding the address before a joint sitting of the National Assembly would not only strengthen democratic institutions but also bring the symbolic weight of legislative collaboration into the day’s observance.
The proposed bill is expected to be presented for deliberation in the coming weeks.
