The 2026 Democracy Day national honours list comprises several journalists, civil rights leaders and senior military officers involved in the fight against military dictatorship.
“June 12 occupies a sacred place in our national memory. It represents more than an election; it is a defining chapter in our story,” the president said in his speech on Friday.
As beneficiaries of their struggle, we have a duty to strengthen and deepen the democratic institutions for which they fought. The greatest tribute we can pay is to build a Nigeria where freedom is protected, justice is upheld, opportunity is expanded, and government is accountable.
“June 12, 1993, revealed the possibility of a true Nigerian nation. The heroes of June 12 secured political freedom. Our challenge is to secure economic freedom. Democracy must be felt in the quality of people’s lives—in opportunities for youth, in prosperous farmers, successful entrepreneurs, and the dignity of our workers.
“Every generation has a defining responsibility. The generation of our founding fathers secured independence—the generation of June 12 secured democracy. Our generation must secure prosperity.”
The president added that the 2026 awardees “suffered persecution, endured indignities, exile, incarceration, and, at times, solitary confinement, so that we have democracy today”.
