To commemorate this year’s Democracy Day, the Federal Government has designated Monday, June 13, 2022, a public holiday.
The commemoration of Democracy Day is generally held on June 12, however this year’s edition falls on Sunday, resulting in a public holiday on Monday.
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, announced this in a statement on Thursday, June 13, 2022, congratulating Nigerians on this historic occasion and urging all citizens to support the government’s efforts to ensure a secure, united, and successful nation.
The statement said, “As we mark another Democracy Day in the history of our dear country, let us reflect on the efforts of our founding fathers and ensure that Nigeria remains one united, secured, peaceful and an indivisible entity, noting that no development can take place in an acrimonious environment,”
The Minister stated that the country’s current issues provide a chance for individuals to come together in truth rather than attempting to sever our shared bond.
“With the challenges we face in Nigeria today, I see an opportunity for us not to break up or break down, but to break open; open up to ourselves in truth so that we may appreciate each other, understand each other, honour each other and live together in peace and prosperity,” Aregbesola reiterated.
Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, following 14 years of military tyranny, is commemorated on this day.
The holiday used to be held on May 29 every year until 2018, when President Muhammadu Buhari relocated it to June 12 in honour of late Moshood Kolawole Abiola, also known as MKO, who won the 1993 election.
