Senate to Institutionalise June 12 Presidential Address, NASS Arcade Inauguration Venue

The Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, on Tuesday, revealed that the Senate was preparing legislation to formalise the annual presidential address on June 12 Democracy Day, citing the date’s enduring historical significance.

Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, Bamidele said the proposed legislation would seek to institutionalise the President’s address on June 12 before a joint sitting of the National Assembly.

“We are hoping to bring a bill soon to institutionalise the President’s address on June 12 because of its historical importance,” Bamidele stated. “There can’t be a better time to address the nation through the parliament than on June 12, especially since it is a joint sitting of the National Assembly.”

Beyond formalising the presidential speech, the legislation would also propose that future presidential swearing-in ceremonies be held at the National Assembly complex, specifically within its ceremonial arcade.

“We are hoping, in that bill, to ensure that the swearing-in ceremony of the next President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria—whom we believe is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—will be held within the arcade of the National Assembly,” the Senate Leader added.

In a broader legislative update, Bamidele also disclosed that the Senate was considering extending the implementation period for the 2024 budget, particularly its capital expenditure component. This, he said, was aimed at ensuring the full delivery of development projects before the 2025 budget cycle begins.

“We have to sit and assess the full implementation of the 2024 budget,” he said. “We will further extend the capital expenditure timeline while ensuring that the 2025 budget is fully implemented.”

Bamidele, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Constitution Review Committee, acknowledged the slow progress of the ongoing constitution amendment process.

However, he assured Nigerians that the committee was approaching the final stage of its work and plans to launch public hearings across the six geopolitical zones in the coming weeks.

“We’ve done almost 70 per cent of the work before going public,” he explained. “Before the end of the third legislative year, we intend to complete the constitution amendment process.”

June 12 holds a significant place in Nigeria’s democratic history. The date commemorates the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely believed to have been won by the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola.

The election, annulled by the then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, triggered national outrage and became a rallying point for pro-democracy movements.

As a corrective measure, former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 declared June 12 as Nigeria’s official Democracy Day, replacing the traditional May 29. The change was meant to honour Abiola’s legacy and acknowledge the election as one of the freest and fairest in the country’s history.

In a notable twist to history, Babangida, in his memoir released in February 2025, admitted for the first time that Abiola actually won the 1993 election—further reinforcing the symbolic importance of June 12 in Nigeria’s democratic journey.