Politics
Buhari, Gowon, Observe Independence Day Parade At Eagle Square
Against all odds, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday observed the 58th Independence Day parade at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
The last time the ceremony held at the Eagles Square was in 2010 under the administration of former President Bukola Saraki.
That parade in 2010 was marred by bomb blasts.
Since that year, subsequent independence anniversary parade were held in low key at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buhari, who already made national broadcast marking the 58th independence anniversary at 7am, on Monday broke the jinx and arrived the Eagles Square venue of the parade around 9.30am.
But the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara were conspicuously absent at the Eagle Square.
According to the programme circulated to guests, they were listed to arrive the venue by 9.10a.m for the event.
Saraki and Dogara have recently dumped the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Others who attended the ceremony included Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, the former Heads of State, Yakubu Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Former military leader, Oladipo Diya and cabinet members also attended the parade.
There was inspection of guards by President Buhari, which was followed by march past in slow and quick time.
There was also march past by para-military organisations, agencies and Nigeria Police Force (NPF) mounted troops.
Also on display were military equipment march past on low loaders
Police dogs displaying the trainings they had acquired also thrilled the guests while outriders also displayed their skills.
There was also aerial show by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
Recalled that while training for the aerial show, there was two jets crash on Friday, which claimed the life of one pilot and leaving two wounded survivors.
Rounding off the ceremony at the Eagles Square, there were firing of volleys and 21 gun salute by the military personnel.
Before departing the venue, President Buhari signed the 58th Independence anniversary register.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the ceremony, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, said “You have seen what we displayed today, we are capable of defending this nation.”
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, noted that the last time independence anniversary was celebrated in full was in 2010.
Read Also: Full text: Muhammadu Buhari’s 58th Independence Day address
According to him, a child born seven years would not have idea of how independence anniversary is celebrated in Nigeria.
He said that there is relative calm in the north east and checkmating of banditry in the North West and north central as a result of acquisition of more military equipment under the present administration.
He urged Nigerians to be patient and trust the leadership of President Buhari.
Shortly after Buhari and the dignitaries left the venue, some APC youths wearing black T-shirt took over the arena.
In a procession with the APC flag, they started moving around, singing songs in support of President Buhari towards the 2019 Presidential election.
Trouble however started when somebody, who infiltrated the group, stole the telephone set of one of the youth.
Rather than submit the telephone set when he was caught, he drew out dagger to scare away those who tried to get the telephone set from him.
With the thief’s supporters at the venue backing him, it almost turned to free for all fight.
They ran, pushed and pursued one another around the venue for over 15 minutes.
It got bloody when some of the thief’s gang started throwing stones, which made the youths to run helter skelter around the venue for safety.
One young boy of about 15 years was not too lucky as one of the stones landed on his head.
The boy, who was bleeding profusely, was given first aid treatment by some members of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps at the venue.
Osinbajo said due to the lack of preparation of leaders, politics has acquired a bad name in Nigeria.
He spoke at the 2nd Annual Daniel Taiwo Odukoya Memorial Lecture, held at The Fountain of Life Church in Lagos.
Osinbajo, however, noted that despite the disillusion, politics remained the pathway to leadership and influence.
He urged Nigerian youths to actively engage in politics as a vital tool for shaping the country’s leadership and bring about a lasting transformation.
“Politics has acquired a bad name, not just in Nigeria, but across the world. But the truth is, there is no other way to influence a nation except by engaging in the political process.
“If we are not involved in choosing leaders, shaping policy, or participating in political parties, then we forfeit our right to complain when outcomes don’t reflect our values.
“Many people go into politics with nothing, no plan, no knowledge, and end up achieving nothing. Leadership demands more.
“Nigeria’s transformation requires principled, informed, and active participation in the political space.
“This nation is not beyond redemption. But change will only come when citizens, especially those with moral conviction and vision, step forward to lead,” the ex-VP said.
“If the parliament is on part-time, then it means democracy is on part-time,” he said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme. “There is no democracy that derides its parliament and thrives.”
He argued that the parliament is the bastion and fulcrum of democracy and no level of cost-cutting should affect the allocations that go to lawmakers.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker representing Ekiti South Senatorial District said beyond law-making and oversight functions on the executive, the 109 Senators in the Senate and the 360 members of the House of Representatives shoulder the responsibilities of their constituents.
He said, “The Nigerian parliament is not only for lawmaking; we do oversight function. We advocate for our constituents.
“It will just be bewildering that even out of the three arms of government that we have in Nigeria, it is only the parliament and parliamentarians that our people have access to. Like me and others.
“We go home almost every time and we are the ones when they give birth to a new baby, they ask for naming ceremony funds. When they are building a new house, it is from us they ask for assistance.
“So, if the parliament was not there, who do you expect that our constituents would run to? The parliament is not just to sit down at the plenary and make laws alone. And when we make laws, we follow it up.”
The Senate spokesman said the National Assembly is the soft target of every critic but vehemently opposed the reduction of the money paid to lawmakers.
“If we are on part-time, can’t the same amount of money be paid to part-time legislators?” he asked.
“We are in Abuja, is it the National Assembly that is giving us housing? Is it the National Assembly that is employing domestic staff for us? We are here on our own.
“We don’t get allowances for drivers. The allowances we get from housing are always deducted from our salaries. They give it once in four years and they deduct it every month.”
He also said the official vehicles lawmakers get weren’t registered in their names and weren’t for them. He, however, did not clarify whether lawmakers inherit the vehicles after their tenure.
In the past, controversy has enveloped the monthly earnings of federal lawmakers. In August 2024, Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, said he got ₦13 million as Senator while current members of the 10th Senate receive ₦21 million monthly. The upper chamber of the National Assembly immediately disproved the claim.
Akpabio spoke at the commissioning of the newly constructed Left-Hand Service Carriageway in the nation’s capital, Abuja. The event had some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains like former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Ayo Fayose (Ekiti) in attendance.
The Senate president referenced Tinubu’s statement during his Democracy Day address before a joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday, June 12, 2025.
Tinubu had refuted allegations that the APC was on a mission to asphyxiate opposition parties and turn Nigeria into a one-party state. The president, however, said he was happy to see the opposition in disarray.
On Friday, Akpabio said, “Like the president said that he does not want a one-party state for Nigeria. He is praying that the opposition would put their houses in order.
“Try and put your houses together before the next election so that nobody would accuse anybody of trying to stifle the opposition.
“But if you expect me as a representative of the president and as Senate president to chair over your troubles and put it together, I would not do that.
“That is why the president said he wants you to come together but if you cannot come together, he would not help you to come together. This is politics.
“And you will never come together when you continue to tell lies on daily basis. And when you criticise everything. Nothing is good in your country. Was Nigeria like this in 1960. Was Abuja like this three years ago?” he queried.
With a litany of court cases arising from intra-party squabbles and protracted leadership crises rocking main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), some politicians seem to have made the APC a darling, especially with the recent defection of two PDP governors to the APC — Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom).
Some dissatisfied PDP, LP and APC chieftains have also joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in recent months amid talks of a coalition to unseat APC’s Tinubu who is seeking a re-election in 2027.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who also spoke at the project commissioning on Friday, dismissed the coalition led by opposition arrowheads Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai.
Wike told the people of Abuja not to give “to those who you don’t know whether their names would be in the ballot or not”.
“Up till now, they’ve not settled among themselves which of the coalition. Is it the left or the right? Coalition that was born and died the same day,” he added.
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