ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has expressed disappointment with President Bola Tinubu’s June 12 Democracy Day speech.
He stated that the speech failed to address the current challenges facing Nigeria’s democracy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, Adegboruwa criticized the speech as merely recounting history without offering solutions to the country’s pressing problems.
“I listened to the speech of the president, unfortunately, I am unable to agree that anything has changed.
“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 said.
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The Senior Advocate stressed that more is expected from a person like Tinubu who was at the forefront of the democratic struggle and who now is at the helm of affairs.
Adegboruwa, a human rights lawyer, noted that the June 12 struggle was fought to recognize the annulled 1993 election and to achieve true federalism.
However, he argued that despite commemorating the significance of June 12, the government has not made tangible progress in upholding democratic principles.
“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,” he said.
Adegboruwa expected that on a day like June 12, wrongful detainees should be released, and constituent units should be engaged to ascertain if Nigeria practices true federalism.
He added that the occasion should provide a roadmap for achieving true democracy, which he believes the president failed to reflect in his speech.
Adegboruwa’s comments reflect a growing sentiment among citizens and activists who demand substantial changes to address Nigeria’s deep-rooted democratic and developmental issues, beyond ceremonial speeches.