Video: Nigerian Government Cancels Independence Day Parade for 2025, Gives no Reason
Abuja, Nigeria – September 29, 2025
The federal government has officially cancelled the Independence Day parade that was scheduled for October 1, 2025, as part of celebrations marking Nigeria’s 65th year of independence.
The cancellation was announced in a statement by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information & Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Imohiosen clarified that although the parade would not proceed, all other programmes lined up for the independence anniversary would still go ahead.
He cautioned Nigerians not to view the decision as diminishing the importance of the anniversary. He expressed the government’s “deep regrets” for any inconvenience caused, without giving the public any reason for the cancellation.
In Abuja, even with the parade cancelled, heightened security operations are being deployed. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) announced the deployment of 4,500 personnel across the Federal Capital Territory claiming it is to protect lives, critical infrastructure, and public spaces before, during, and after the cancelled event.
The deployment claim to cover units such as undercover operations, chemical-biological response, female strike forces, and other specialized teams.
Despite the cancellation, the federal government has declared Wednesday, October 1 a public holiday to mark the 65th Independence Anniversary.
Other independence-related activities including cultural programs, speeches, and national broadcasts are expected to go on as scheduled.
Many observers note that perhaps Bola Tinubu knows he has plunged Nigeria into far more mess and unwilling to face them, especially since last year’s 64th Independence Day parade was widely seen as a fiasco, marred by a series of embarrassing incidents.
The only moment that stuck in the public’s memory was President Bola Tinubu’s widely publicized stumble while attempting to mount the ceremonial inspection vehicle.
One of the presidential escort motorcycles reportedly stalled in the middle of the stadium after running out of petrol, forcing aides to push it aside during the parade.
To top it off, frustrated guests interrupted the ceremony with chants of “We want minimum wage,” turning what should have been a unifying celebration into a spectacle of public discontent.
Some Nigerians have expressed discontent, demanding explanations behind such a sudden cancellation.
Critics argue that cancelling the parade, a symbolic and patriotic event, without public reasoning erodes trust and prompts speculation about governance priorities.
