By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa, Nigerian Tracker Correspondent

As expected, the Federal Government of Nigeria was to facilitate the parade procession at Eagles Square every morning of October 1, celebrating the country’s independence. But it took most Nigerians aback when the President, through his Secretary, George Akume, disclosed that the Independence Day celebration was not going to hold. The announcement was contained in a press statement released by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation:

“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, as read, was signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Segun Imohiosen.

The announcement took most Nigerians by surprise because no single reason was mentioned as to why the celebration was cancelled—unlike other cases in which the reason, even though not given, made itself glaring why the celebration couldn’t hold.

Such moments were, first in 1966–1967 during the civil war, which brought chaos into the country. Second was in 1992 when Ibrahim Babangida made such a cancellation announcement in honor of the victims of the Nigerian Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules plane crash in Ejigbo, Lagos, in which 159 persons, mainly military officers, lost their lives. Third was in 2010 when the celebration was marred by explosions from two cars parked near Eagles Square, which took the lives of many and injured a few others. Due to the incident, the celebration for the following years did not hold until 2014. Fourth was during the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak didn’t allow the celebration to flow as it should have, hence the low-key procession by the late President Buhari at the Villa.

Obviously, the years in which the Independence Anniversary celebration didn’t hold presented themselves with reasons, and those reasons were genuine. So, why did the incumbent President Tinubu cancel the celebration without a reason?

In another development, the Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, was accused by the State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, of boycotting the Independence Anniversary celebration in the state by withdrawing police personnel who should have taken part in the procession at the Sani Abacha Stadium, despite his unambiguous instructions to make provision for security for the event.

Out of displeasure, the Governor then called on the President, Bola Ahmad Tinubu, to immediately redeploy the State Police Commissioner for his “unethical” behavior:

“The Commissioner of Police has embarrassed us by his conduct,” Yusuf said. “His action is unprofessional, unethical, and contrary to what is expected of a security chief on such a historic day for the people of Kano and indeed for Nigeria as a whole.”

He continued, “On behalf of myself as the Chief Security Officer of the state, and the good people of Kano, I call on President Bola Ahmad Tinubu to remove CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, today.”

Since 1960, when the first ceremony was held at the Race Course, now Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, the military parade has become a significant aspect of the Independence Day celebration, with heads of government at various tiers taking the salute as the armed forces, paramilitary outfits, and school children march past. Independence Day was given more relevance by the actions of past leaders, such as when Olusegun Obasanjo, during his military regime, decided to hand over power to civil administration on the 1st of October 1979.

Similarly, the then Head of State, General Sani Abacha, added to the relevance of the day when he announced the creation of six new states—Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Zamfara—on October 1, 1996, a pronouncement that brought the number of states in Nigeria to the current 36. These six states have since then celebrated the day as the anniversary of their creation.

Did States Follow Suit in the Cancellation?

The South-East region presented a unique case. Following the federal directive, all five states (Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo) officially canceled government-sponsored celebrations. This was largely due to the prevailing socio-political climate in the region, where October 1st is often viewed with ambivalence. The federal cancellation provided a convenient reason to forego an event that typically has low public enthusiasm there.

Cross River State organized a tree-planting exercise to mark the day, framing it as an “investment in Nigeria’s future.” Delta State held a “solemn symposium” on national unity with civil society groups instead of a parade.

In Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara presided over a brief flag-raising ceremony at the Government House, attended only by top government functionaries, with no public fanfare. A statement emphasized “the symbolic importance of the day without extravagant spending.”

Bayelsa State government cited the need to redirect resources to flood preparedness and mitigation efforts. Edo State announced a low-key workday and suspended official festivities. Ekiti and Ondo States canceled celebrations and encouraged citizens to engage in community service.

In a nutshell, the federal directive resulted in a largely compliant but politically fractured response. The overwhelming compliance from APC states was anticipated. However, the bold defiance from Kano State—a major political and commercial hub—and the subsequent constitutional crisis over control of the police has become the defining story of the 2025 Independence Day. It demonstrates the potent role of sub-national politics in challenging federal authority and sets a tense precedent for future interactions between the NNPP-led Kano State and the APC-led Federal Government.

The Potent Questions Remain:

1. Was the defiance by the Kano State Governor merely about preserving the relevance of the Independence Day anniversary, or is it a reflection of differences in their political ideologies that might serve as a proxy for larger political battles?
2. Was the President wrong for canceling the celebration without a reason?

On the non participation of Kano police command during the independence parade the force Headquarters is yet to issue a statememt.