Bill replacing May 29 with June 12 as Democracy Day passes second reading in Reps

…Bill divides lawmakers along party lines
The House of Representatives was on Thursday polarized along party lines during the debate on a bill seeking an amendment to the Public Holidays Act to recognize June 12 as Democracy Day in Nigeria as against the current date of May 29 on which it had been observed since 1999.

Consequently, the Speaker of the House, Hon Yakubu Dogara, in his ruling whether the bill passes second reading or not pleaded that national unity and cohesion be put first by both proponents and opponents of the bill and put the matter to a voice voice.

Dogara said that the supporters of the bill had outnumbered the opposition to it during the voting and thus, the bill scaled second reading and was committed to the Committee of the Whole for further inputs.

The bill entitled: “A bill for an Act to amend the Public Holidays Act 2004 to bring the Act in tandem with the current realities and exigencies of modern times and to declare June 12 as Democracy Day in Nigeria and for related matters was sponsored by Rep. Edward Pwajok (Plateau/APC) and Rep. Kayode Oladele (Ogun/APC).

Leading debate on the general principles of the proposed legislation, Rep. Pwajok stated that the declaration is to be done as a post humous honour to the late Chief M. K. O. Abiola, who was the acclaimed winner of the June 12,1993 presidential election.

Pwajok disclosed that countries set aside some days to commemorate special events, such as celebrating their independence, religious festivals and their heroes.

According to him, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had declared May 29 each year as Democracy Day to celebrate the hand over of government by the military to elected civilians.

He added that the May 29 date is no longer tenable in the light of the nullification of several governorship elections by the courts which has led to the change in dates of the inauguration of the affected state governors.

He said, “The question needs to be asked whether the mere hand over of power on May 29, 1999 is more symbolic of democracy than the June 12, 1993 election.

It is pertinent to remember that it was the crisis that accompanied the annulment of the June 12 election, that led to not only the return of democracy in 1999 but the concession of the presidency to the south west in 1999.

“Declaring June 12 as Democracy Day will remind Nigerians of the supreme price many Nigerians, including M. K. O. Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, Alfred Rewane, Bagauda Kalto paid and many others that lost their jobs, properties and businesses.

“It will also enhance national unity by reminding us that on June 12, 1993, Nigerians deemphasized religion by voting a Muslim-Muslim SDP ticket against a Muslim-Christian NRC ticket,” Pwajok said.

But the lawmakers of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took time to criticise the propriety of the action.

Not even President Muhammadu Buhari and APC lawmakers who said that the amendment to the Public Holiday Act to move Democracy Day to June 12 every year was to strengthen democratic practices in the country were spared during the heated debate on the bill by PDP lawmakers.

Speaking against the proposal, Rep. Jones Onyereri (Imo/PDP) said that the bill ought to have been presented to the National Assembly before the proclamation by the President to that effect.

He therefore insisted that the bill be presented as an executive bill and not a private member bill.

Similarly, Rep. Sergius Ogun (Edo/PDP) said that President Buhari who truncated democracy in Nigeria in 1983 is not in a good position to declare June 12 as Democracy Day in the manner he did it.

He said, “Monkey cannot give birth to a lion,” adding that those who do not have internal democracy in the running of their party should not be talking of democracy which hallmark is free and fair elections.

Rep. Kingsley Chinda (Rivers/PDP) in his contribution raised questions regarding the propriety of moving the Democracy Day from May 29 to June 12 every year, while asking “what is the spirit behind the amendment?”

He argued that “even if we change Democracy Day to June 12, we must observe the May 29 public holiday every four years as a day of inauguration of a new government in Nigeria”.

But the PDP’s position was countered by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers, insisting that the ruling party is committed to providing the enabling environment for democracy and its tenets to thrive in Nigeria.

The APC lawmakers, who spoke in favour of the bill including Reps. Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia/APC) and Gudaji Kazaure (Jigawa/APC).

According to the APC lawmakers, the legislation stated that President Buhari who initially declared June 12 as a public holiday did so because of democracy blood running down in his veins.

Rep. Onyejeocha said that since Buhari has guaranteed the conduct of free and fair general elections, the onus she added is on the citizenry to hold him accountable to his promise.

Rep. Kazaure warned that the nation must not repeat the mistake of the past in order to “save our children from continuing to read our nation’s sad history”.

He added that the bill is well intended and urged that it passes through stages of the legislative process as proposed by the sponsors.