Nigeria Marks Independence Day Without Military Parade for Second Straight Year

The Federal Government marked Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary with religious services, a public lecture and President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast. A military parade was not included in the official programme for the second consecutive year. The parade was also absent in 2025, when the government cited the President’s foreign engagement and ongoing military operations against terrorism, insurgency and banditry. The Defence Headquarters later confirmed that some officers arrested in 2025 were being investigated over allegations of a plot to overthrow the government. However, the Presidency and the military have not publicly linked the 2026 decision to the coup investigation or any security concern. The reason for the parade’s continued absence has not been officially explained.

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