June 2026: Federal Government to Declare Public Holiday for All Institutions, Date Emerges
- Nigeria's ministry of interior, under the leadership of Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, will announce a public holiday for Democracy Day 2026
- The official declaration is expected in the second week of June 2026, potentially suspending work across government and private establishments
- Democracy Day in Nigeria is a national public holiday observed annually on June 12 to commemorate the return to civilian democratic rule
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience reporting on national and regional news from Lagos, with a strong focus on Nigeria, Africa and broader international affairs.
FCT, Abuja - Nigeria’s ministry of interior is set to declare a nationwide public holiday across all sectors to mark Democracy Day 2026, potentially granting a one-day break for both private and public sector employees.
Legit.ng reports that Nigerians recently observed a two-day Eid Al Adha public holiday, as announced by the authorities.
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The federal government’s announcement regarding Democracy Day will be the only national public holiday observed in Nigeria in June 2026.
Democracy Day commemorates the 1993 presidential election and the nation’s struggle for democratic freedom.
June 12, 2026, falls on a Friday.
Democracy Day: Key June 12 facts
On June 6, 2018, the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, in a public statement, changed the Democracy Day to June 12, in honour of the June 12, 1993, presidential election and its winner, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, who died in prison.
Abiola was born on August 14, 1937 and passed away under suspicious circumstances on July 7, 1998.
A popular Ogun businessman, publisher, and politician of the Egba clan, he is often referred to as MKO Abiola.
He ran for the presidency in 1993 and was widely regarded as the presumed winner of the election, which was annulled by former military head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida.
Some southwest states had been celebrating June 12 as a public holiday and are holding ceremonies in Abiola's honour until Buhari officially declared the day as Nigeria's real democracy day.
The former president, on Monday, June 10, 2018, signed the Public Holiday Amendment Bill into law.
The law, according to the former president's ex-senior special assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, allows a public holiday to be declared on June 12 every year, while May 29 is to be a handing-over date.
Legit.ng presents major facts about the historic June 12 and the unforgettable events surrounding it.
1. Several of those involved in the election are dead
MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the election, died in detention in 1998. Also, Justice Bassey Ikpeme, who gave the controversial order stopping the election, died in 1997.
Clement Akpamgbo, the attorney general and minister of justice who was involved in the legal tussles, died in 2006.
Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, the then second-in-command to General Babangida, who famously said Abiola could not be sworn in as president because the government owed him a lot of money, died in 2011.
2. The celebration lasted only two hours
Following the election victory, many Nigerians took to the streets in celebration.
However, on that fateful day decades ago, the celebrations were short-lived, as just two hours later, the military annulled the election results.
3. No Hausa or Fulani politicians featured on the tickets
Strangely, the 1993 elections had no person of Hausa or Fulani extraction picked as a presidential or vice-presidential candidate.
Bashir Tofa, who contested against Abiola, is a Kanuri from Kano. Babagana Kingibe, a Kanuri from Borno state, was Abiola’s running mate. However, after the annulment, the Hausa/Fulani bore the brunt, per some historical narratives.
4. Abiola won the election
This is not surprising, but it is quite important to know that he won the election, fair and square. Abiola scored 58.36% of the 14 million votes cast.
His rival, Tofa, polled 5,952,087 votes, representing 41.64%. Only three states each returned more than one million votes, all southern: Lagos, Rivers (now Rivers and Bayelsa) and Ondo.
5. Abiola received the highest votes in Lagos
Abiola received his highest votes from Lagos state.
The businessman-turned-politician secured a comfortable victory with 883,965 votes. Ondo state (now Ondo and Ekiti) delivered a total of 883,024 votes, closely challenging Lagos with a strong performance.
6. The southwest was solidly behind him
Abiola scored more than 80% in each of the five southwestern states: Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Osun and Ogun. Osun’s 87% was his highest percentage nationwide.
His 78% in Kwara was his highest outside of the southwest.
7. Bashir Tofa behind Abiola
Tofa did not score up to 80% in any state. He came close to that in Sokoto, where he got 79%. Incidentally, Abiola scored his worst percentage in Sokoto (20%).
Tofa, however, did not score up to 70% in any other state after Rivers.
8 June 12 now a national holiday
Many Nigerians believed that June 12 should be a national holiday.
The date is celebrated in honour of an annulled presidential election on June 12, 1993. However, only some Nigerian states were celebrating it until Wednesday, June 6, 2018, when Buhari declared June 12 the new Democracy Day to replace May 29.
9. Ibrahim Babangida's role
The election was annulled by Babangida because of alleged evidence that they were corrupt and unfair, a development that ushered in a political crisis that led to General Sani Abacha seizing power later that year.
In February 2025, Babangida finally admitted that Abiola won the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
He also expressed regret over the annulment in his newly launched autobiography.
The book, titled A Journey in Service, was unveiled in Abuja and reviewed by former Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
10. Abiola declared himself president
In 1994, Abiola declared himself the lawful president of Nigeria after he returned to Lagos from a trip to solicit the support of the international community for his mandate.
After declaring himself president, he was declared wanted and accused of treason. He was subsequently arrested on the orders of military ruler Sani Abacha, who reportedly deployed about 200 police vehicles to take him into custody.
11. MKO Abiola's unfortunate death
Abiola died on July 7, 1998, on the day he was due to be released from incarceration under suspicious circumstances shortly after the death of General Abacha.
The official autopsy stated that Abiola died of natural causes, but the Abiola family has consistently maintained that MKO's death and that of his wife, Kudirat Abiola, were the result of targeted, state-sponsored assassinations.
12. The fairest election to date
The 1993 presidential election was widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll by both national and international observers, with Abiola even winning in his northern opponent’s home state.
June 12 is therefore observed as a day to honour Abiola, as well as other martyrs of Nigeria’s democratic struggle.
June 12: Why it matters
The history of Nigeria cannot be told without mentioning June 12, a landmark date that reshaped the nation’s trajectory and remains deeply significant to Nigerians.
It marks the country’s struggle for democracy after decades of military rule under successive juntas and dictators.
Source: Getty Images
Legit.ng explores four reasons why June 12 is significant in Nigeria's history.
1. The 1993 presidential election
On June 12, 1993, Nigeria held its presidential election, which is widely regarded as one of the fairest and freest in the country's history. The election witnessed a remarkable turnout of voters across ethnic, religious, and regional lines.
MKO Abiola emerged as the winner, receiving massive support from Nigerians who believed in his vision for a better Nigeria.
2. Symbol of unity
Before President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s same-faith ticket in a presidential election, MKO Abiola had earlier adopted a similar arrangement.
Abiola chose former diplomat and ex-party chairman Baba Gana Kingibe from the north-east as his running mate.
What distinguished Abiola and Kingibe’s ticket was the strong sense of national unity it inspired, cutting across ethnic, religious, and regional divides. Millions of Nigerians set aside their differences to vote for a leader they believed would bring positive change.
That moment of unity reflected a shared aspiration for democracy and national progress, reinforcing June 12 as a lasting symbol of national cohesion.
3. Struggle for democracy
The annulment of the June 12 election by the military regime led by General Babangida sparked widespread protests and civil unrest across the country. Nigerians from all walks of life took to the streets, demanding the recognition of their democratic choice.
The struggle that ensued became a defining moment in Nigeria's history, highlighting the people's unwavering commitment to democracy and their determination to hold their leaders accountable.
4. The role of MKO Abiola
MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12 election, became a symbol of resistance and democracy.
He stood as a charismatic figure, rallying Nigerians to fight for the actualisation of their democratic rights.
His imprisonment and eventual death in custody further strengthened the resolve of the Nigerian people, according to analysts.
Read more on Democracy Day:
- June 12: 25 Important takeaways from Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech
- Democracy Day 2025: CSO sends strong message to Tinubu, governors as Nigeria marks June 12
Tinubu reaffirms commitment to democracy
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Tinubu said his philosophy as “a diehard democrat” will “live and die with me.”
According to a statement issued by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu made the remarks while reiterating his firm commitment to sustaining democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria as part of 'his enduring legacy'.
Source: Legit.ng
