A bill for an Act to Amend the Public Holiday Act to give legal backing to the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day on Wednesday scaled through the First Reading on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Jointly sponsored by Hon. Kayode Oladele (APC-Ogun State) and Hon. Simon Pawjok (APC-Plateau State), the Bill seeks to amend the Public Holiday Act by substituting June 12 with May 29 every year as igeria’s Democracy Day.
If passed into law, June 12 will also be declared as a public holiday in Nigeria.
It could be recalled that the Federal Government recently declared June 12 as Democracy Day in recognition of the June 12, 1993 presidential election in Nigeria, which was adjudged the freest election ever held in the history of Nigeria.
The election also produced the late Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola of the Social Democratic Party as the winner.
However the military government headed by General Ibrahim Badamasi Babaganda annulled the election.
Abiola was subsequently detained by the late dictator, General Sanni Abacha.
He died in the custody of the military government of General Abdulsalami Abubakar on July 7, 1998 under very suspicious circumstances.
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