Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his first Democracy Day address, honoured more than 80 Nigerians both living and deceased for their pivotal roles in promoting democracy and justice.
Speaking at a joint National Assembly session, Tinubu paid tribute to pro-democracy icons and granted a symbolic state pardon to the Ogoni Nine, executed in 1995. He announced that full pardons would follow after consulting the National Council of State.
Posthumous honourees included MKO Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and several activists and journalists. Among the living, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Prof. Olatunji Dare, Femi Falana, Bishop Matthew Kukah, and Sam Amuka Pemu were also recognised.
The awards ranged from GCFR to OON, underscoring the government’s commitment to honouring those who shaped Nigeria’s democratic history.
