Thursday June 12, 2025|
The National Assembly on Thursday, June 12, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider delivering the State of the Nation Address from the National Assembly every June 12 yearly.
This followed a request by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen which the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio turned into a motion and seconded.
The Speaker made the request in his remarks at the joint session of the National Assembly as part of activities to commemorate 26 years of unbroken democratic governance in Nigeria.
Senate President Akpabio said, “Mr. President, the Speaker has moved a motion that you should make the State of the Nation Address to the nation from the National Assembly a yearly affair especially on June 12 and it has been seconded by the Senate President”.
As the lawmakers unanimously adopted the motion, the Senate President told President Tinubu to consider the request of the parliament, while also paying tribute to him for being the first President to deliver the State of the Nation Address to the nation through the parliament.
Akpabio described President Tinubu as a symbol of democratic resistance and a veteran of Nigeria’s democratic trenches, declaring that his presence at the National Assembly on June 12 was not only historic, but deeply symbolic.
The Senate President said Tinubu’s journey from exile and activism to the presidency was living proof that the sacrifices of June 12 were not in vain.
“Your Excellency, your presence here rekindles the memory of a long and courageous journey marked by struggle, sacrifice, and an unyielding belief in the ideals of democracy,” Akpabio said. “You are not just the President of Nigeria today, you are a symbol of democratic resistance.”
He recalled how the June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely adjudged to have been won by Chief M.K.O. Abiola, was annulled on June 24, plunging the country into turmoil, saying “What followed was a dark chapter. Protests erupted. Many paid the ultimate price. Some fled. Some were jailed. But a few stood firm. You were among the few. When others chose silence, you chose courage”.
Akpabio told the packed chamber that Nigeria’s democracy was not gifted by the military but reclaimed by the people, through blood, sweat, and bold resistance.
He said the commemoration of Democracy Day was not a ceremonial event, but a call to remember the fire that forged the country’s democratic identity.
“June 12 was not just a date, it was a defiance. It was Nigerians standing shoulder to shoulder, Muslims and Christians, North and South, saying with one voice: our vote must count, and our voices must be heard,” he said.
Addressing President Tinubu directly, Akpabio declared: “You were hunted, hounded, and exiled. But you never stopped believing. You kept the flame alive. That flame burns today in the heart of this Chamber.”
Speaking on the achievement of the red chamber since inauguration in 2023, Akpabio said 844 bills were introduced on the floor of the Senate in the last two years, with 96 passed and 52 signed into law by the President.
He said many of these laws are already reshaping the national landscape, from education to taxation, and from regional development to local government autonomy, saying “each law passed is a brick laid in the foundation of a stronger, more prosperous Nigeria. We in the 10th National Assembly are not just lawmakers; we are nation-builders”
He also praised the Assembly’s record on public accountability, saying: “We have received over 80 public petitions, evidence that Nigerians now trust this institution to defend their rights,” revealing that 18 of those petitions had already been successfully acted upon.
Akpabio lauded the Tinubu administration’s policy reforms, including the controversial but “bold” removal of fuel subsidy, liberalization of the foreign exchange market, establishment of student loan schemes, tax reforms, and renewed efforts toward infrastructure and national security.
“These moves, he said, were beginning to restore investor confidence and re-anchor the economy on the path of sustainable growth.
“This is not governance as usual. This is governance with courage, vision, and political will,” he said.
The Senate President was however quick to acknowledge that democracy was more than policy, describing it as a culture, a daily commitment to dialogue, participation, and accountability.
Drawing on global examples, the Senate President likened Nigeria’s democratic path to the American Civil Rights movement and Rwanda’s post-genocide recovery, stressing the value of resilience and institutional reforms.
Akpabio called for national unity, saying that partisan divides must not stand in the way of nation-building, saying, “democracy is not a zero-sum game. When the executive and legislature collaborate, the people win. When they clash unnecessarily, the people suffer.”
He also called for the establishment of a June 12 National Democracy Museum, a living tribute to the sacrifices that birthed Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
He said, “Let us tell our children that democracy was not handed to us. It was fought for, bled for, and won by ordinary Nigerians who believed in something bigger than themselves,” while invoking the spirit of those who died in the struggle for democracy, pledging that the Senate would never betray the hopes they died for.
“We owe it to those who fought. We owe it to those who fell. We owe it to those who still believe. May we never again betray the hope that was once betrayed. And may we never lose the freedom that was once denied,” he said.
As he welcomed President Tinubu to address the nation, Akpabio noted that the moment was one of “deep institutional and emotional significance.”
“This Chamber is not only the heartbeat of our democracy; it is also your political home. Once again, Mr. President, welcome home,” he said.
In his remarks, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen said despite the achievement of the current government in its two years in office, there was the need to redouble efforts aimed at advancing the development of the country, saying it was not yet uhuru.
The Speaker drew the attention of the President to the need to revolutionise the nation’s power sector to operate optimally.
He informed the President of the resolve of the National Assembly to give Nigerians a people oriented Constitution by December 2025 and provide constitutional backing for 35 per cent affirmative action.
He said: “While we celebrate our successes, we remain acutely aware that it is not yet Uhuru. As we enter the second half of our term, our determination is unequivocal: to expedite and finalise the constitutional amendment process by December 2025.
“Some of our priorities include special reserved seats for women, formal constitutional roles for traditional rulers, and legal backing for a 35 per cent affirmative-action gender policy.
We appeal to the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the Progressive Governors’ Forum to advocate for these essential reforms at the state level. Mr President, I would be remiss in my responsibility to you if I concluded my brief remarks without also offering some useful recommendations on the way forward.
“You have demonstrated remarkable resolve in removing the fuel subsidy and allowing the Naira to float. Now, we require an equally decisive intervention in our power sector.
“While progress is evident, it is time to ‘wave your magic wand’ once more: to break the cycle of underperformance by shifting from an over-reliance on thermal and hydro-electricity to a diversified energy mix.
“We must embrace renewable and clean energy sources, such as solar, wind, and even nuclear, to ensure a reliable and sustainable national grid. If anyone can do this, Mr. President, IT IS YOU.”
He said developing the solid minerals’ sector is essential for Nigeria’s economic diversification, saying “while we have some existing geological data, it lacks the precision and quality needed to support large-scale exploration.
He said the House will soon commence an urgent review of the 2007 Mining Act to allow subnational entities to operate within the profitable limits of the law while enhancing oversight and mitigating security risks.
“If pursued with discipline and clarity, these reforms will position solid minerals as a strategic pillar of our national economy,” he said.
Speaker Abbas said the President’s visit to the National Assembly reaffirmed the vitality and resilience of the nation’s democratic institutions.
He recalled with reverence the historic events of June 12, 1993, a day which he said Nigerians, across all divides, united to affirm their collective will for democratic governance, while saluting the President for being a frontline crusader in the NADECO pro-democracy struggle.
