President Bola Tinubu has raised the alarm over the perceived threat posed by some individuals within the country to undermine its democracy.
He made the assertion on Wednesday in his broadcast to mark this year’s Democracy Day, noting that such persons are trying to exploit the current challenges facing the country.
He said: “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.”
President Tinubu described the nation’s democracy as not just a historic fact but a living and breathing reality.
Noting the “hard and dangerous” trajectory to democracy in the country, he said Nigeria has steadied the course.
“We lost great heroes and heroines along the way. In this struggle, the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, the most significant symbol of our democratic struggle, his wife, Kudirat, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Pa Alfred Rewane, among others sacrificed their very lives.
“They bravely surrendered their futures, so that our nation might have a better one,” he observed b
President Tinubu praised the sacrifices of the media in the fight to re-establish democracy in the country citing the trivial of specific media houses including the Nigerian Tribune.
He said: “The sacrifices they made, and the precious gift brought about by their selfless devotion can never be repaid. Neither shall it be forgotten.
“We could not have won the battle against military dictatorship without the irrepressible Nigerian journalists who mounted the barricades along with the pro-democracy activists. We celebrate them today, along with their media establishments such as The Punch, Guardian, National Concord, Tribune, The News/Tempo, and TELL Magazines. Military authorities proscribed these media establishments and jailed their journalists for standing for free speech and civil liberties.
“Despite the lethal might of the military government, what appeared to be high and unyielding walls of dictatorship came tumbling down. The dismal fortress exists no longer.
“The power of an idea, the power of the people proved more potent than all the guns and munitions, and the threats of the strongmen.
“The nation exited the yoke of military rule in 1999 to become the most populous democracy on African soil, the beacon of democratic self-determination for the black race and one of the largest democracies in the world.
“This change stands as a pivotal moment in human history. From this change, we shall never turn, nor shall the annals of mankind’s progress forget the sublime meaning of this great moment.”
He stated: “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.”
The president assured that he is duty bound to protect the rights, freedoms and liberties of all Nigerian.
“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.
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“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,” he stated.
On the economy, President Tinubu also assured that he understands the economic difficulties being faced by Nigeria as a nation.
He said the economy had been in desperate need of reform for decades, noting that reforms are necessary to fix it for the long haul.
“It has been unbalanced because it was built on the flawed foundation of over-reliance on revenues from the exploitation of oil.
“The reforms we have initiated are intended to create a stronger, better foundation for future growth. There is no doubt the reforms have occasioned hardship.
“Yet, they are necessary repairs required to fix the economy over the long run so that everyone has access to economic opportunity, fair pay and compensation for his endeavour and labour.
“As we continue to reform the economy, I shall always listen to the people and will never turn my back on you.”
Also addressing the issue of the organized labour agitation for an enhanced minimum wage, he said nobody was harassed or oppressed.
He noted that an executive bill will soon be sent to the national assembly on the agreement that will be reached with labour.
“In this spirit, we have negotiated in good faith and with open arms with organized labour on a new national minimum wage.
“We shall soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to enshrine what has been agreed upon as part of our law for the next five years or less.
“In the face of labour’s call for a national strike, we did not seek to oppress or crack down on the workers as a dictatorial government would have done. We chose the path of cooperation over conflict.
“No one was arrested or threatened. Instead, the labour leadership was invited to break bread and negotiate toward a good-faith resolution.
“Reasoned discussion and principled compromise are hallmarks of democracy. These themes shall continue to animate my policies and interaction with the constituent parts of our political economy.
“I take on this vital task without fear or favour and I commit myself to this work until we have built a Nigeria where no man is oppressed.
“In the end, our national greatness will not be achieved by travelling the easy road. It can only be achieved by taking the right one.”
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