Senate President Godswill Akpabio says the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election did more than rob Nigerians of their mandate, stressing that it sparked a national awakening.

Speaking during the 2025 Democracy Day ceremony at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Akpabio described June 12 as a defining moment that transformed Nigeria’s democratic trajectory.

He said: “Nigeria did not just lose an election; she lost her innocence. And across the country, the silence of shock was broken by the roar of resistance.

“The people rose. Angry students marched. Journalists spoke. Mothers wailed. Workers downed tools. Fathers stood before tanks.”

He said young Nigerians “whose only crime was believing in democracy” paid the ultimate price.

“They died because they loved Nigeria enough to fight for her soul. This was not just a rejection of oppression, but the beginning of a national awakening — signifying a rebirth as well as a reckoning,” he stated.

The senate president said the campaign theme of the late MKO Abiola, captured the spirit of the moment.

“‘Nigeria on the march again.’ Indeed, Nigeria was on the march towards democracy. But that cruel announcement turned the march for democracy into a march for justice,” he said.

Akpabio praised Tinubu’s role during the June 12 struggle, describing him as “a veteran of the trenches” and “a symbol of democratic resistance”.

“While others chose silence or compromise, you chose courage. At great personal cost, NADECO, which you were part of, helped sustain the flame of liberty when it was most at risk of going out,” he said.

The senate president also called on Tinubu to immortalise the moment by establishing a national museum to preserve the memory of the June 12 struggle.

Akpabio urged Nigerians to see democracy not as a gift but as a trust that must be protected daily.

“To the youth, you must not treat democracy with apathy. To civil society, you must not let memory fade. To the media, we must be held accountable through responsible journalism,” he said.

He reaffirmed the 10th senate’s commitment to pro-people legislation, citing the passage of 96 bills in two years.

Akpabio concluded by calling for stronger executive-legislative cooperation and pledged that the legislature would continue to act in the best interest of Nigerians.