Bill to declare June 12 Democracy Day not political Rep
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left for president buhari maybe he thought it was okay to make that pronouncement but looking at it as a legislator we know that it needs a legislative backing1 by taiye agbaje1 the lawmaker who represents jos northjos east federal constituency of plateau made the clarification on monday in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan in abuja1 nan reports that a bill for an act to amend the public holidays act cap p40 lfn 2004 to delete item 5 of the schedule which declares may 29 as democracy day and substitute it with june 12 as democracy day on nov. 22 scaled second reading in the house of representatives1 president muhammadu buhari had on june 6 directed that the nations democracy day would henceforth hold on june 12 as against the current arrangement where the ceremony holds on may 291 pwajok who sponsored the bill said although president buhari made a pronouncement on making june 12 nigerias democracy day it must have legislative backing to take effect1 he dispelled the insinuations that it was politically motivated with the intent of buying votes ahead 2019 general elections1 according to him i am the sponsor of the bill i am not even going to contest any election in 20191 so which votes am i going to buy because i am the sponsor of the bill. it is not even president buhari that brought the bill1 rep edward pwajok chairman house committee on rules and business says the motive behind the bill to declare june 12 as democracy day instead of the current may 29 has no political coloration1 without legislation it cannot work. we have to amend the existing law to accommodate it1 even i that sponsored the bill i am not a yoruba man1 so i dont have any political benefit from sponsoring this bill. there are many other bills that i sponsored1 there is no pecuniary interest there is no political motive behind it. this one is just purely on a national interest he said1 pwajok who urged nigerians to look at issues beyond the primordial sentiment said it was disheartening that opposition parties would always read motives to issues1 so to me this country is in need of this declaration. look at how happy the members of family of late mko abiola were when they heard about that pronouncement1 i am not a member of abiola family1 so the question is when is the best time to declare june 12 as democracy day if you are afraid of insinuations he said. nan1