In a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, labeled it as a mere rehearsal of history, emphasizing that none of the nation’s pressing national issues were addressed.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Adegboruwa expressed his disappointment with the President’s address, stating, “I listened to the speech of the president, unfortunately, I am unable to agree that anything has changed.”
Despite commemorating the significance of June 12, which marks the annulled 1993 presidential election believed to have been won by MKO Abiola, the senior lawyer lamented the lack of tangible progress in upholding democratic principles by the government.
“I am sorry, I am not impressed in any way at all by the speech of the President, in the sense that it is just rehearsing history,” Adegboruwa added.
Highlighting President Tinubu’s pivotal role in the democratic struggle and his current position at the helm of affairs, Adegboruwa expressed disappointment at the lack of substantive change.
He remarked, “For me, looking at the past one year and indeed, our collective history from the time we started agitating for democracy, things have gotten worse, nothing has changed at all.”
Adegboruwa underscored the original aspirations of the June 12 struggle, which aimed to recognize the annulled 1993 election and improve subsequent electoral processes.
However, he pointed out that these dreams remain deferred, with lingering questions about the legitimacy of recent elections, including the one that brought Tinubu to power.
On this significant day, Adegboruwa emphasized the need for the release of Nigerians held in custody wrongfully and called for engagement with constituent units to ensure Nigeria’s adherence to the principles of a true federation.
He emphasized that the occasion of June 12 should provide Nigerians with a roadmap for achieving true democracy, a critical aspect missing from the President’s speech.