Nigeria: May 29 - Tinubu Orders Low-Key Celebration of First Anniversary

President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

"The anniversary is going to be low-key, there would be no major ceremony but a sectorial briefing by the ministers. The essence is to ensure that government funds are kept for the people."

The Nigerian government is going to hold a "low-key" official ceremony to mark the one year in office of President Bola Tinubu, according to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

Mr Idris stated this on Wednesday at the ministerial press briefing series held at the Radio House in Abuja.

It is not clear if the government intends to hold the ceremony on 12 June, the day officially recognised as Democracy Day.

Nigeria's Democracy Day celebration was being held on May 29 before President Buhari changed it to 12 June in commemoration of the 12 June 1993, presidential election annulled by the military government.

Election data showed Moshood Abiola won the polls but he was never formally declared winner and was not sworn into office by the military government of Ibrahim Babangida.

Mr Tinubu, a major supporter of Mr Abiola, is believed to have played a major role in the change of the Democracy Day to 12 June.

Speaking on the plan for the one year in office, Mr Idris said the celebration is going to focus on sectorial debates instead of the usual celebrations.

"The anniversary is going to be low key, there would be no major ceremony but sectorial briefing by the ministers.

"The essence is to ensure that government funds are kept for the people," the minister said.

He said the debate would be focused on eight key sectors of the government, and that ministers would be delegated to speak on different sectors.

He added that the ministerial briefing series will be taking place daily with different ministers briefing on the activities in their sector.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, had also indicated that the celebration would be low-key.

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