The Senate yesterday approved the proposal to make June 12 every year as Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari had last year declared June 12 as Democracy Day as a way of immortalizing late MKO Abiola, who was believed to have won the June 12, 1993, presidential election. To give the president’s declaration a legal backing, two members of the House of Reps, Edward Pwajok (PDP, Plateau) and Kayode Oladele (APC, Ogun) sponsored a bill for June 12 to be recognized as Democracy Day law.

The bill, which sought an amendment to the Public Holidays Act, was passed the House in March and transmitted to the Senate for concurrence. At yesterday’s plenary, Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe), moved for the Senate to concur with the bill as passed the House, which all the senators agreed to.