According to a statement issued by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, sSpeaking shortly after the service, Shettima said President Tinubu “remains committed to restoring peace and stability in the nation,” and asked citizens to support that effort through prayer.
“I want to assure Nigerians of President Bola Tinubu’s unwavering commitment towards restoring peace and stability in the nation,” he said.
“No matter how long the night is, it must give way to the light of dawn. Stormy as the weather may be, it will not rain forever. The government remains irrevocably committed to restoring peace and stability in the nation,” the vice president added.
Shettima also assured Nigerians that the government was working to secure the safe return of children and other citizens held by bandits and terrorists, and acknowledged the sacrifices of those who safeguarded the country’s democracy.
Earlier in his sermon, the Imam of the National Mosque, Haroun Eze, called on Nigerians to remain patriotic and steadfast in defending the nation. He appealed to leaders at all levels to take decisive action to address security challenges and ensure peace, which he described as essential for national development and citizens’ well‑being.
The event drew a cross-section of political and government figures. Those who joined the vice president included the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; and former Kano State governor and APC national chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Other attendees included former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Alhaji Mahmoud Yayale Ahmed, and the outgoing Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede.
June 12 was designated Nigeria’s Democracy Day in 2018 during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to formally recognise the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola and his running mate, Babagana Kingibe, as the winners of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.
The prayer at the National Mosque forms part of a series of events organised by the federal government to commemorate the day, which honours the country’s return to democratic rule and the sacrifices of those who fought for it.
