The House of Representatives on Thursday approved June 12 as Democracy Day in Nigeria, to honour late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, thereby revoking May 29.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on 6 June, 2018, declared June 12 as date for the event.

Abiola was the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, which was annulled by the then military president, Ibrahim Babangida.

“June 12 ,1993 was the day when Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was indisputably the freest, fairest election since our independence,” Buhari had said.

“The fact that the outcome of that election was not upheld does not distract from the democratic credentials of the process.”

And by virtue of its approval on 6 December, theHouse of Representatives has given legal backing to Buhari’s declaration.

Theapproval followed the adoption of a report on a bill seeking to amend the Public Holidays Act 2004.

The federal lawmakers approved the amendments to three clauses ‎in the Act, as recommended in the report.One of the clauses deleted May 29 as Democracy Day and replaced the date with June 12.

The amendment has put an end to the age-long dispute that June 12 should be made Democracy Day.

•Sourced from a Daily Independent report