Senate to Propose Law Institutionalising Presidential Democracy Day Address, Eyes National Assembly for Swearing-In Ceremonies
The Nigerian Senate is preparing a significant piece of legislation to institutionalise the annual presidential address on June 12, in recognition of the date’s historic importance as Democracy Day.
This was disclosed on Tuesday by the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, during a media briefing at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja. He explained that the proposed bill would mandate the President to deliver a national address before a joint session of the National Assembly every June 12, thereby formalising the tradition and aligning it with the spirit of democracy.
“We are working on a bill to institutionalise the President’s address to the nation on June 12,” Bamidele said. “Given the historical significance of the date, it is only fitting that the President addresses Nigerians through a joint parliamentary sitting. There’s no better occasion than Democracy Day for such a national engagement.”
In addition to the Democracy Day address, the forthcoming legislation will also include a provision to relocate future presidential swearing-in ceremonies to the ceremonial arcade of the National Assembly complex. According to Bamidele, this move would further underscore the centrality of the legislature in Nigeria’s democratic structure.
“Part of what the bill aims to achieve is to ensure that the next swearing-in ceremony of the President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria—who we believe will still be President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—takes place at the National Assembly’s ceremonial arcade,” he noted.
Shifting focus to economic legislation, Bamidele revealed that the Senate was also considering an extension of the implementation period for the 2024 national budget, particularly the capital expenditure component. This move, he said, is intended to allow the government to complete development projects currently in progress before the 2025 budget takes effect.
“We have to review the implementation of the 2024 budget, especially the capital component,” he said. “There’s a need to extend the timeline to ensure that critical projects are delivered before transitioning to the 2025 fiscal plan.”
As Vice Chairman of the Senate Constitution Review Committee, Bamidele acknowledged the relatively slow pace of the ongoing constitution amendment process but assured Nigerians that progress was being made.
He disclosed that the committee had already completed about 70 percent of its work and would soon be launching public hearings across all six geopolitical zones of the country to gather input from citizens and stakeholders.
“We’re entering the final phase of our work,” Bamidele explained. “We intend to conduct public hearings in every geopolitical zone, and our goal is to complete the constitution amendment process before the end of the third legislative year.”
Senator Bamidele’s briefing reflects an evolving legislative agenda in the Nigerian Senate aimed at deepening democratic practices, strengthening institutions, and improving governance.
With key proposals on Democracy Day formalities, national budget efficiency, and constitutional reform, the coming months may prove pivotal for Nigeria’s democratic and institutional development.