Following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s June 12 Commemoration and Democracy Day speech, many Nigerians and the Civil Society Organisations have been reacting to the national broadcast made by the president.

President Tinubu had showered encomiums on the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, general elections, Chief MKO Abiola and his wife Kudirat Abiola, describing them as symbols of democracy. He hailed Abiola and other heroes of democracy who had fought for the sustainability of democracy in the country, praising them for not giving up on the yearning for democratic government in Nigeria even at the expense of their lives.

In their reactions to his first Democracy Day speech, some Nigerians praised President Tinubu for recognising the martyrs of democracy and for articulating Nigerians’ challenges, including the current hardship the citizens are facing with the recent subsidy removal.

In response to the president’s remark, Jamiu Abiola, the son of MKO Abiola, the 1993 election winner, and his wife Kudirat Abiola expressed his satisfaction on Arise Television, indicating that president Tinubu has shown loyalty to his parents.

Recounting his experience 30 years ago, Mr Jamiu Abiola said the mentioning of his parents as martyrs of democracy in Nigeria has relieved him of the pain he has endured when he lost his parents to the fight against military dictatorship.

“When I heard his speech today and what he said, he mentioned my Dad, he mentioned my mum that means so much to me because a lot of people, like the former president who honoured June 12, whenever he does his June 12 speech he never mentioned my dad in most cases and that was very painful to me because you honoured June 12 but you can’t even mention the hero of June 12 when you are giving the presidential speech but you can see the difference with president Tinubu, he has been mentioning my dad throughout the speech, he is trying to connect the historic victory to what is happening now and how we want to get Nigeria out of the trenches, this is a very good thing and I am very happy today.

“The Chairman of NEC at that time wrote a book then in which he released the result of the election, I think it will be very good to liaise with the national assembly and liaise with the judiciary so that we can put this into a formal perspective, so I think they can explore, I don’t know how feasible it is but I wish they can make it formal so that he can be a real president even posthumously”.

Likewise, the president was praised for his eloquent speech on Nigerian issues by Mr Reno Omokri, a special assistant to former president Goodluck Jonathan, who lauded the president for acknowledging the challenges the country is facing and his accessibility, stating that his action since inauguration has revealed that his administration has shown improvement in the country

“I cannot fault the President’s first two weeks in office. This speech, in which he acknowledged the pains Nigerians are facing and his promise to alleviate the pains, the sustenance of subsidy removal, deft negotiations with the Nigerian Labour Congress, his accessibility and open door policy, balanced appointments of Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, increasing the retirement age of judges, taking charge of the leadership selection process of the 10th National Assembly, signing significant bills into law, and making progress towards a single exchange rate, has established that he is a significant improvement on Buhari”, he said.

CSJ, IPC Demand More Actions from President Tinubu

In the same vein, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) also acknowledged the president’s speech in which he admitted that Nigerians are facing hardships. The non-governmental organisation, in a statement signed by Eze Onyekpere Lead Director and Victor Okeke Strategic Communications Officer in response to Tinubu’s democracy speech however called the president to provide a solution to the country’s problem.

They also called the president to urge the political and business elites to make greater sacrifices in order to revive the nation’s economy by engaging in an open dialogue with the populace and demonstrating transparency in his administration.

“President Tinubu highlighted the removal of fuel subsidy as a necessary step to free up resources for collective use, which had previously been pocketed by a privileged few. While we understand the intention behind this decision, it is crucial to emphasize that the burden of sacrifice should be shared by all, including the leadership. Furthermore, concrete steps must be taken to ensure that the sacrifices made by the people are not in vain.

“We recognise the President’s promise to invest in transportation infrastructure, education, regular power supply, healthcare, and other public utilities to improve the quality of lives. However, we stress the importance of translating these promises into actionable plans with clear timelines and effective implementation strategies. Nigerians need more than just assurances; they require tangible solutions that will alleviate their current suffering and provide them with hope for a brighter future”, he said.

IPC Demand Welfare and Safety of Journalists

The International Press Centre (IPC) has urged the government to act quickly to ensure the welfare and safety of journalists working for the media, pointing out that the media was crucial in paving the way for democracy and championing the June 12th activity.

The Executive Director of the IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, issued a statement in which he urged the Tinubu administration to acknowledge and support the media and its role without limitations, arguing that the media is essential to telling the full story of democracy.

“Democracy cannot come to play without the support of the media. To this extent, the media should further be encouraged to perform its role, particularly as stipulated in Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution, ‘to monitor governance and hold government accountable. For this to happen, it is important to create an enabling environment for the media”, he said.

He further called the government to create an “enabling environment that would help the media to thrive and be in a position to contribute to democracy and development include

“A press freedom friendly regulatory environment. The media regulatory bodies should be independent and empowered to help the development of the media not otherwise;

“The review and amendment of all laws that serve as drawbacks to press freedom;The guarantee of the safety of journalists and protection from all forms of attacks;

“Improved welfare of journalists so that they can carry out their work without fear of hunger and poverty and;A stop to molestation of journalists by security agents and all forms of surveillance on journalists”, the statement said.