President Bola Tinubu has said that the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day parade gave him the rare opportunity to rest and enjoy a “nice breakfast.”
The Federal Government had on Monday announced the cancellation of the October 1 parade, breaking a long-standing tradition observed by successive administrations.
Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said in a statement that the decision was not meant to diminish the significance of the country’s independence anniversary.
“The Federal Government wishes to announce the cancellation of the Independence Anniversary parade, previously scheduled to mark the 65th Independence on Wednesday, 1st October.
The cancellation is in no way a diminishment of the significance of this milestone anniversary,” the statement read.
Speaking later at the unveiling of the renovated Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (formerly the National Arts Theatre) in Lagos, Mr Tinubu said the break from the military march-past allowed him to enjoy the anniversary in a more relaxed way.
“Happy 65th Independence Anniversary. This has broken the monotony of military march-past, parade and everything. By cancelling this programme, I was able to have a good sleep, have a nice breakfast and wait for this evening. And the evening is well spent,” the president said.
At the event, Tinubu also expressed satisfaction with renaming the National Arts Theatre after Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, describing him as one of Nigeria’s greatest global assets.
“So, it couldn’t have been anything else. And I know definitely you will not disobey this president. I said it has to be Wole Soyinka Centre,” he said.
The unveiling marked the official reopening of the historic cultural hub following its renovation and rebranding.
