The Federal Government of Nigeria has officially declared Monday, May 29, a public holiday, across the country.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in Abuja on Friday.
The declaration is coming in commemoration of the country’s democratic system and the inauguration of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, as the 16th President and Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria respectively.
The inauguration of Tinubu and his Vice is scheduled to hold on the 29th of May, 2023, at Eagle Square, Abuja.
Tinubu’s inauguration will mark 24 years of uninterrupted democratic governance and the seventh consecutive democratic transition of power in Nigeria, since the return of civilian rule to the country, in 1999.
However, Aregbesola in his statement, emphasized the importance of supporting and upholding democratic principles, emphasising the principle of the rule of law and preserving democratic institutions.
“Democracy anywhere is an unfinished business, and the only way it can keep developing and serve its end of being the vehicle to good governance and the welfare of all the people is by adhering to its tenets of rule of law, support for democratic institutions, promotion of free and responsible press, and advancement of the frontiers of freedom for all the people,” he said.
He, however, urged Nigerians to promote ideals of peaceful coexistence and foster a sense of neighbourly love.