The Federal Government had on Monday announced the cancellation of the annual parade scheduled for October 1 in Abuja, though it confirmed that other anniversary programmes would still hold.
Speaking with Bolaji Abdullahi in an interview on Tuesday, he said the decision robbed the country of a symbolic moment that could have served as a rallying point for unity and renewed hope.
Nigeria@65 independence Day is a remarkable milestone. It is a chance for Nigeria to project itself to the world and inspire citizens to renew confidence in their government. But rather than seize the opportunity, the government has chosen the easier path of abstinence,” he said.
He suggested that the cancellation may have been linked to President Bola Tinubu’s absence from the capital, saying Nigerians deserved clarity rather than excuses.
“They may claim it was due to the economy, but when invitations went out, was the economic situation different? This is not about modesty; it is about transparency. Whatever they are hiding, Nigerians will soon know,” Abdullahi added.
The ADC spokesman further criticised the President’s repeated absence at other major national events, including the passing-out parade of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
> “About 800 officers were commissioned into the armed forces just last Saturday, but the Commander-in-Chief was not there. If he could not attend, he could have delegated the Chief of Army Staff. Instead, he was in Lagos to commission the renovated National Arts Theatre. These decisions diminish the dignity of our country,” he said.
Abdullahi maintained that symbolic national ceremonies should never be treated as afterthoughts, stressing that such actions send the wrong signals to citizens at a time when confidence in government is already low.
