June 12: Tinubu promises Nigerians more dividends of democracy

President Bola Tinubu has praised The Guardian and some other media organisations for the huge role they played in restoring democracy in Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has promised to preserve and strengthen democratic institutions and to deliver more dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

Tinubu made this statement during his National Democracy Day speech on Wednesday.

He said Nigeria has established a tradition of holding “transparent, open, and fair elections,” which gives credence to the country’s democratic bearing and pointed to “peaceful transitions of power” as evidence of the nation’s democratic maturity.

Tinubu warned that there are individuals who seek to exploit the current challenges facing the nation to undermine and potentially destroy the democracy that has been hard-won, noting that these individuals are motivated not by a desire to improve the situation but by a desire for power and control.

The president also paid homage to the sacrifices made by those who fought for Nigeria’s democracy and noted his personal involvement in the struggle, saying, “I was among those who took the risk to midwife the birth of our democracy. I am now a direct and obvious beneficiary of the fruits of those historic efforts.”

Tinubu added that, while the challenges are steep and numerous, he pledged to do whatever it takes to cement democracy as the country’s way of life, stating that he is grateful to lead Nigeria at this moment in her history and point in her democratic journey.

Tinubu statement read in part, “Today, 25 years later, we celebrate the silver anniversary of our journey in democracy. We have steadied the course. Democracy is neither a foreign nor abstract concept devoid of real-life meaning for us. Neither can we afford to reduce or minimalise it to being nothing but the mere holding of periodic elections where one candidate and party outdo another. While elections attract dramatic attention, they are but one aspect of democracy.

“Democracy is a way of life that encompasses a broad outlook of which elections are but a part. As such, a nation can have elections without being democratic. But a nation cannot be truly democratic without holding elections. That we have established a tradition of holding transparent, open, and fair elections gives credence to our democratic bearing.

“That we have experienced peaceful transitions of government affirms our democratic temperament. Fellow Nigerians, true democracy shines its light into the daily lives of the people who live under its nurturing wings. It affords us the freedom and liberty to think as we want, live where we want and pursue whatever legitimate endeavour that suits us.Democracy does not assume some false or forced unity of opinion. In fact, democracy assumes that conflicting ideas and differing opinions shall be the order of the day. Given the diversity and variety of the human experience, there must be diverse perspectives and viewpoints.What democracy demands is that we do not resolve differences through force and repression.

“But we make allowance for the legitimacy of views that differ from our own. Where other forms of government impose against the will of the people, democracy aims to make leaders sufficiently humble that they conduct themselves as servants of the common good, not as viceroys of the narrow interests of the mighty. My dear compatriots, Nigeria faced a decision of untold gravity twenty-five years ago: Whether to veer toward a better destination or continue aimlessly in the fog of dictatorship.We made the right choice then. We must continue with that choice now.As Nigerians, we must remind ourselves that no matter how complicated democracy may be, it is the best form of governance in the long run. We must also be aware that there are those among us who will try to exploit current challenges to undermine, if not destroy, this democracy for which so much has already been given. These people do this not to make things better but to subject all other people and things to their control and dominance until the point that, if you are not counted among their elite, then your life will be small and no longer owned by you.This is the great battle of our day and the major reason we specially celebrate this Democracy day. Fellow Nigerians, our Democracy is more than a historic fact.

“It is a living, breathing reality. The true meaning of this day is not to focus solely on the great deeds of the past that have brought us to this point. Yes, we pay eternal honour to those who laid down their lives, sacrificing everything to pave the way for the nation. I stand uniquely placed in this regard. I was among those who took the risk to midwife the birth of our democracy. I am now a direct and obvious beneficiary of the fruits of those historic efforts.As president of this nation, I am morally and constitutionally bound to preserve this precious form of governance. I vow to do my utmost best to protect your rights, freedoms, and liberties as citizens of Nigeria.Even more than that, I pledge to do whatever is necessary to cement democracy as our way of life.

“Although the challenges are steep and multiple, I am grateful to lead Nigeria at this moment in her history and point in her democratic journey. I come before you also to declare that our most important work remains before us. This real test has never been whether we would rise to challenge the slings of misfortune and grievous pain of dictatorship. The real test is whether we shall lower our guards as the shadow of despotism and its evident physical danger fade. I say to you here and now that as we celebrate the enshrinement of our political democracy, let us commit ourselves to the fulfilment of its equally important counterpart, the realisation of our economic democracy.”