Why is June 12 called democracy day in Nigeria.

Before June 6, 2018 the West African country of Nigeria celebrates her democracy day on 29th May every year. This was as a result of the military hand-over of power to a democratically elected presidency of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29th 1999, which marked the beginning of the fourth republic in Nigeria, after series of military take-over of power.

The first republic which started in 1963 after the country got her independence in 1960, was ended by a military coup by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. In 1979, marking the second republic, election was held and a democratic president was elected till 1983 when another military coup by the current president of Nigeria(Muhammadu Buhari) during his spell in the military.

The third republic came in 1993 as a result of the failure of the then Gen. Ibrahim Babangida's military administration to announce the result of the June 12, 1993 election which was widely believed to have been won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawole(M.K.O) Abiola.

Due to the general acceptance of that June 12, 1993 election as freest and fairest, states in the South Western region of Nigeria firstly took it up to recognise that day as the main democracy day in Nigeria and through subsequent agitations, the government of the federal republic of Nigeria under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari on June 6, 2018 adopted June 12 as the new democracy day in Nigeria thereby declaring it as a public holiday instead of the formerly adopted May 29.