Reps endorse June 12 as Democracy Day

The house of representatives has endorsed June 12 as the date of celebrating Democracy Day.

The lawmakers gave the endorsement on Thursday following the consideration of a bill seeking to amend the public holidays act.

The amendment was necessitated after President Muhammadu Buhari declared June 12 as the new date for Democracy Day to honour Moshood Abiola, presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election.

The Democracy Day was hitherto celebrated on May 29.

The president’s declaration had generated controversies, with lawmakers arguing it cannot be effective except there is a law to that effect.

The prompted the introduction of a bill titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the Public Holidays Act, Cap. P40, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to bring the Act in tandem with the current realities and exigencies of the modern times and to declare June, 12 as Democracy Day in Nigeria and for Related Matters”.

The lawmakers approved the amendment of three clauses in the act, one of which changed the Democracy Day from May 29 to June 12.