In a historic gesture marking Democracy Day 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu posthumously conferred national honors on a host of individuals who played pivotal roles in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.

Chief among them was Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, posthumously awarded the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), recognized as a courageous heroine of Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement.

The ceremony honored both the deceased and living champions of democracy, acknowledging their sacrifices and contributions to Nigeria’s political development.

Among the top posthumous awards:

CFR recipients included:

Alhaja Kudirat Abiola

Alhaji Balarabe Musa

Pa Alfred Rewane

Chief Bola Ige

Pa Reuben Fasoranti

Senator Abu Ibrahim

Senator Ame Ebute

GCFR, Nigeria’s highest national honor, was posthumously awarded to:

Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua

CON awardees included several prominent activists and figures such as:

Prof. Humphrey Nwosu

Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti

Alao Aka Bashorun

Chief Frank Kokori

Ken Saro Wiwa

Barinem Kiobel

Emma Ezeazu

Bamidele Aturu

Mobolaji Akinyemi (also listed among living honorees)

OON was conferred posthumously on:

Investigative journalist Bagauda Kaltho

Activists Chima Ubani and Emma Ezeazu

Several Ogoni Nine members including Nordu Eawo, Baribor Bera, and John Kpuine

President Tinubu also recognized key figures who continue to champion democratic values:

GCON:

Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka

CFR:

Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi

CON:

Prof. Olatunji Dare

Journalists Bayo Onanuga and Dare Babarinsa

Bishop Matthew Kukah

Senator Shehu Sani

Legal icon Femi Falana, SAN

Prof. Shafideen Amuwo, among others

OON:

Prominent journalists and civil society leaders including Kunle Ajibade, Nosa Igiebor, and Ayo Obe

Top leaders of the National Assembly, previously honored, were also acknowledged:

GCON:

Senate President Godswill Akpabio

House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas

CFR:

Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has called for urgent judicial reforms in Nigeria, urging that all election-related legal disputes be concluded before newly elected officials are sworn into office.

Jega made the call during a public forum held in Lagos to commemorate June 12 Democracy Day, where he sharply criticised the current electoral judicial process, describing it as inefficient and lacking integrity.

“The Nigerian judiciary needs to be urgently reformed. Globally, the judiciary is said to be the last bastion of hope for the common man. In the Nigerian context, it is really far, far, far from being the bastion of hope for the common man,” he said.

He raised concerns about how individuals are appointed into the judiciary, alleging that recruitment processes have been compromised by favoritism and insufficient screening, resulting in the inclusion of individuals without the necessary competence or ethical standards.

Jega emphasized the need for a structural overhaul that would require the judicial system to finalize all election cases before officials assume office.

“It should be made mandatory that all election disputes are resolved before swearing in of elected executives,” he insisted, stressing the importance of a fair, impartial, and efficient judiciary.

In addition, he condemned the increasing trend of contradictory court rulings, which he said damage the credibility of the judiciary and disrupt the electoral justice process.

“Contradictory orders and the injunctions issued by courts of competent jurisdiction should also be proscribed,” Jega declared.

He also expressed frustration with the prolonged timelines of some pre-election court cases, noting that some are not resolved until long after officials have completed most of their terms in office.

“A situation in which a pre-election matter can last three, four years before it is addressed—long after the wrongly sworn-in person has been there—is terrible,” he said.

Sharing a specific example from his tenure at INEC, he recalled:

“I recall a case when I was at INEC. Somebody elected in 2011 and the pre-election dispute lasted until 2014. By that time, he had been a member of the National Assembly receiving all the perquisites.”

“Unless meaningful changes are implemented, public trust in Nigeria’s electoral and judicial systems will continue to decline.

Former Minister of Transportation and two-time Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has expressed openness to contesting the 2027 presidential election, citing the nation’s escalating economic difficulties as a driving factor.

In a recent interview with the BBC, Amaechi emphasized the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges, saying, “If the government is failing the country, you don’t just go along because you are in the same party. You know that is not right. People are dying. People are starving. I myself, I am feeling the effects of hunger. The truth is, I’m also feeling the hunger.”*

While not currently planning a presidential bid, Amaechi did not rule out the possibility, suggesting that time would reveal his decision.

He highlighted ongoing discussions with other concerned Nigerians to form a united front aimed at bringing about change.

“We are thinking that if we come together and win the election, the country will certainly witness change,” he remarked.

Amaechi’s comments come amid a broader political realignment, with opposition leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, exploring avenues to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election .

In a related development, a coalition of youth activists and entertainment figures, under the banner of Igbo Youth Celebrities for Rotimi Amaechi, has called on President Tinubu and Obi to step aside and support Amaechi’s potential candidacy.

The group argues that Amaechi’s extensive experience in governance makes him the most qualified candidate to lead Nigeria into a new era of economic growth and stability .

Elder statesman and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae, has renewed calls for Nigeria to return to a parliamentary system of government, arguing that it is better suited for a multi-ethnic and diverse nation like Nigeria.

Speaking on Arise Tv on Thursday to mark Democracy Day, Chief Falae emphasized that the current presidential system has proven to be expensive, divisive, and unsuitable for Nigeria’s socio-political landscape.

“The parliamentary system is far more better than the presidential system in a country like Nigeria, which is made up of multiple ethnic nationalities and cultures,” he said.

The former Minister of Finance said that under the parliamentary model, power is more decentralized and fosters greater accountability, inclusion, and collaboration, especially among minority groups.

“In a parliamentary system, government is formed from the legislature, which means a ruling coalition must reflect the diversity of the country. This helps in managing ethnic tensions and ensuring wider representation,” Falae added.

He lamented that the current presidential system concentrates too much power at the center, encourages political godfatherism, and breeds corruption due to weak checks and balances.

“The presidential system has created an overbearing executive that is hard to check. It’s expensive, inefficient, and has failed to meet the developmental needs of Nigerians,” he argued.

Chief Falae, who once ran for president in 1999, noted that Nigeria’s First Republic, under the parliamentary system, achieved more in terms of infrastructure, education, and economic growth than what has been witnessed in recent decades.

He called on the National Assembly and constitutional reform committees to seriously consider restructuring the country’s governance system to ensure long-term peace and development.

“We must stop pretending that the structure we have now is working. It is not. We need to go back to a system that reflects our reality and can accommodate our differences,” he stressed.

The elder statesman urged political leaders, especially at the federal level, to show courage and foresight in pushing for systemic reforms that will strengthen Nigeria’s unity and progress.