Democracy Day address disappointment as Tinubu mocks opposition, ignores justice demands, and fuels discontent over Rivers crisis in solemn national moment
Democracy Day address disappointment was the mood across Nigeria on June 12, 2025, after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu delivered a national broadcast that stirred more unease than unity.
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Standing before the joint session of the National Assembly, the President missed a vital opportunity to honour Nigeria’s democratic martyrs in spirit and tone.
Instead, he chose partisan celebration, declaring to the country’s lawmakers that the opposition was “in disarray” and, in his words, “to my delight”.
Such a remark, made on a day so sacred to Nigeria’s democratic history, stunned even supporters of the ruling party.
June 12 should be a solemn day of remembrance, not an occasion to taunt political rivals.
It is not simply a ceremonial date; it symbolises sacrifice, struggle, and the long road to civil liberty. To reduce it to a stage for gloating is to betray its essence.
Rather than promote unity, the President’s speech reflected derision. In healthy democracies, mocking the opposition in the legislative chamber would draw widespread condemnation.
In Nigeria, it risks setting a damaging precedent. On a day meant to transcend party lines, Tinubu failed to embody the unifying role required of his office.
Democracy cannot thrive when the leader of a nation views partisan advantage as a cause for national celebration.
His speech ignored the emotional and political weight of the day. June 12 belongs to the people. It is their symbol of resistance to tyranny.
By casting it in the light of party supremacy, the President has weakened its power as a national binding force.
Yet, Tinubu did strike a rare note of respect by honouring Professor Humphrey Nwosu, whose memory had been sidelined by the 10th National Assembly.
The mention of heroes such as MKO Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, and Pa Alfred Rewane was a welcomed moment of acknowledgement.
However, recognition must be holistic. The countless unnamed protesters, students, and workers who paid with their lives were not remembered. Their exclusion strips the day of its moral depth.
Justice, too, was glaringly absent. The President ignored calls to reopen investigations into unresolved political murders.
From Dele Giwa to Bola Ige, Funso Williams to countless others, the silence surrounding their deaths remains a national wound.
There was no pledge to seek justice, no commitment to truth, no sign of moral courage from a leader who rose to power on the back of democratic activism. The silence was more than disappointing; it was damning.
This year’s observance also failed to address the crisis in Rivers State. The unconstitutional suspension of a sitting governor and federal inertia in resolving the situation have fuelled concerns about the selective application of civil rule.
Many observers view the state’s condition as a mockery of the democratic values that June 12 is meant to enshrine. The parallels with failed states in Africa are stark and disturbing.
The President, once a vocal opponent of military dictatorship, appears unwilling to challenge a creeping authoritarianism under his watch.
His failure to speak against the Rivers crisis on such a symbolic day reflects a wider reluctance to confront the injustices undermining Nigeria’s democratic credibility.
What then remains of our democratic experiment when the past is whitewashed, the present politicised, and the future uncertain? June 12 should remind Nigerians of their collective power and responsibility.
But when leaders choose division over dialogue, silence over justice, and party triumph over national healing, the democratic project itself is at risk.
**Democracy Day address disappointment** will be remembered not just for what was said, but for what was wilfully left unsaid.
Also read: Tinubu Democracy Day: Ex-IGP Adamu Lauds President’s Heroic Role in Nigeria’s Democratic Journey
If democracy must be defended, it begins with truth. If our unity must be restored, it begins with justice. And if our leaders must be remembered, let it be for the bridges they built, not the wounds they ignored.