The National Assembly has announced plans to introduce a bill that would require future Presidents of Nigeria to be sworn into office at the arcade of the National Assembly.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele made this known on Tuesday while fielding questions in Abuja as the country prepares to mark this year’s Democracy Day on 12 June.
Mr Bamidele explained that the proposal was part of a broader legislative agenda aimed at deepening democratic traditions in Nigeria.
“It is our desire to institutionalise the State of the Nation Address. We will bring a bill to address it, to ensure that it is institutionalised. People should look forward to it,” he said.
According to him, the National Assembly also intends to pass legislation that would mandate the President to deliver an annual State of the Nation Address before a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives every 12 June.
“There is no better day than June 12 for the President to address the nation, because of its historical significance. It is a joint sitting of the National Assembly. Nigerians should look forward to this legislative initiative,” Mr Bamidele added.
As part of this year’s commemoration, President Bola Tinubu is expected to address the nation through a joint sitting of the National Assembly on Thursday, 12 June 2025.
Mr Bamidele noted that the move signals closer executive-legislative collaboration to entrench democratic norms.
“President Tinubu is working with the National Assembly in that regard. June 12 will be a better time for the President to address the nation through the National Assembly,” he said.
On future presidential inaugurations, Mr Bamidele revealed that lawmakers are considering legislation that would relocate the traditional swearing-in ceremony from Eagle Square to the National Assembly.
“We are also hoping to change our political setting to the extent that the swearing-in of the next President will, by the grace of God, be in the arcade of the National Assembly of Nigeria,” he said.
Democracy Day, observed annually on 12 June, honours the legacy of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, who won the annulled 1993 presidential election. Widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s electoral history, the 1993 vote marked a turning point in the nation’s democratic journey before it was abruptly cancelled by the military regime.
Since its official designation in 2018, 12 June has become a national symbol of democratic resilience and a solemn reminder of the struggle for electoral justice and civil liberties in Nigeria.
