Nigeria’s democracy has come to stay — Speaker Tajudeen

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, on Friday said that Nigeria’s democracy has come to stay after 27 unbroken years of practising civil rule, noting that the country has gained a lot since 1999.

The Speaker, who joined other well-meaning Nigerians, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to congratulate citizens on this year’s Democracy Day, said, “Nigeria will never again be governed by decree. Nigeria will be governed by consent.”

He spoke in Zaria at Phase 5 of his empowerment programme, where he distributed 1,000 motorcycles to primary and secondary school teachers in Zaria Federal Constituency in commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day.

He said he prioritised the welfare and well-being of teachers “because everything I am began in a classroom, and no nation rises above the quality of its teachers. Let these motorcycles carry you to school.

“But let them also carry a message: that democracy can touch ordinary lives in practical ways, right here at home. Teach our children honesty, hard work, and love of country. Teach them what June 12 means.”

This is even as the Speaker settled the bills for 21 inmates to the tune of N17.5 million at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Zaria, to enable them to regain their freedom.

The freed inmates, who were full of appreciation for the Speaker for coming to their rescue, hailed from different parts of Kaduna State. Their jail terms ranged from seven months to five years.

Speaker Tajudeen also paid glowing tributes to Nigeria’s heroes of democracy, saying their efforts and sacrifices did not go in vain.

He said, “But democracy did not fall from the sky. It was paid for in blood, in tears, in exile, and in detention. We remember Chief MKO Abiola, whose mandate of June 12, 1993, was stolen, and who died in custody rather than surrender it. We remember Kudirat Abiola. And we remember our own General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, a son of the North, who died in prison because he demanded a return to civil rule.

“Malam Aminu Kano, who spent his life insisting that the talakawa must have a voice in how they are governed. Our own Alhaji Balarabe Musa from Kaduna State, who spoke truth to power until his final breath. And here in Zaria, the late Dr Yusuf Bala Usman of Ahmadu Bello University, who taught generations that citizens must question their rulers. June 12 is their day. We stand on their shoulders.”

He said Nigerians continue to keep faith with democracy despite its challenges because it is “the only system that allows a nation to correct its mistakes without bloodshed. It gives the farmer in Kwarbai the same single vote as the billionaire in Lagos. It allows you to question me, your Speaker. It allows you to question all your other leaders.”

He said what happened in some African countries such as Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Gabon, where the military dislodged constitutionally recognised democratic governments, cannot happen in Nigeria, “because we have chosen to be vigilant. Nigeria will never again be governed by decree. Nigeria will be governed by consent.”

Noting that consent must be earned with results, Speaker Tajudeen said President Bola Tinubu perfectly understands the situation, which is why he took bold decisions on assuming office.

“Let us be honest. He (President Tinubu) inherited subsidy distortions, exchange-rate chaos, collapsing revenues, and an economy on the brink of failure. The easy option was to keep postponing reality. He refused. And the numbers now speak. Inflation peaked at 34.8 per cent in December 2024. By April this year, it had fallen to 15.69 per cent. GDP growth rose from 2.74 per cent in 2023 to 3.87 per cent in 2025, and global institutions project growth of 4.4 per cent in 2026.

“Our gross external reserves crossed $50 billion in February, the highest in 13 years, up from net reserves of barely $4 billion at the end of 2023. Government revenues more than doubled, from N17.08 trillion in 2023 to N37.44 trillion in 2025, with money now flowing to roads, schools, hospitals, and salaries across all three tiers. Capital inflows jumped from $654 million in late 2023 to $5.6 billion by early 2025.

“Through the Student Loan Fund, over 1.3 million young Nigerians have received more than N242 billion across 280 tertiary institutions. Right here, Ahmadu Bello University alone received over N1 billion for 17,599 students.

“The number of primary healthcare centres is being doubled from 9,000 to 18,000 by next year. Defence spending has risen from N2.98 trillion to N4.91 trillion, and the road from Abuja through Kaduna to Kano, once a corridor of fear, is being rebuilt while the trains run again.”

For all the laudable programmes, interventions, initiatives, and good governance, the Speaker said President Tinubu deserves another term, noting, “That is why, as 2027 approaches, I say without hesitation: this is not the time to change course. Renewed Hope is working. The evidence is on the table. Let us finish the job.”

Turning to the legislature, Speaker Abbas said that in the 27 years of Nigeria’s democracy, the National Assembly has risen to the occasion and opposed a proposed third term in 2006; introduced the Doctrine of Necessity in 2010 to address a looming constitutional crisis; enacted the Freedom of Information Act; created anti-corruption agencies; lowered the age for seeking office so young people could run; passed the Petroleum Industry Act after two decades of failure; and introduced technology that made votes harder to steal and easier to count in the Electoral Acts of 2022 and 2026.

“The Tenth Assembly is building on that inheritance with the most ambitious constitutional review in our history. Twelve public hearings across all six geopolitical zones. From 260 alteration bills, a first batch of 37 has now been prioritised. And each answers a problem you live with.”

He listed some recent gains of the 10th Assembly to include the passage of the State Police Bill on Thursday, the creation of an Electoral Offences Commission, independent candidacy, strengthened state electoral commissions, and local government autonomy, among others.

Speaker Tajudeen also cautioned politicians to be more patriotic and put Nigeria’s interests above personal interests as the 2027 elections draw near, noting that “politics is not war” and “the opponent is not the enemy.”

“I call on all of us to campaign with facts, not fear; with ideas, not insults. Do not inflame religion. Do not weaponise ethnicity. Do not set fire to the house we all must live in simply to rule its ashes. The politician who destabilises Nigeria to win power will inherit nothing worth governing. History is watching, and so are our children. Let 2027 be remembered as the election in which Nigeria’s political class chose the country over self.”

“And to you, young Nigerians, my message is direct. I know your frustrations are real. But this country is yours, and it is worth fighting for with your PVC, not your despair. Do not surrender the future to cynicism. Register. Vote. Run for office. Build businesses. Question us. Hold us to account. The same democracy that let a schoolteacher’s son become Speaker is open to every one of you. Hope is not naive. Hope, backed by work, is the most radical force in any nation.”