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Tinubu Addresses Nigerians on Democracy Day (Full Speech)
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday addressed Nigerians on Democracy Day for the second time since he assumed office on May 29, 2024.
In his speech, the President honoured heroes of democracy, rallied Nigerians to support his administration’s efforts to strengthen the economy and informed citizens that a bill for a new minimum wage will be sent to the National Assembly soon, among other things.
Read his full speech below:
TEXT OF PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU’S NATIONAL BROADCAST ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNBROKEN DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA,
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DEMOCRACY DAY, 12TH JUNE, 2024
ABUJA
My fellow Nigerians, let me begin by congratulating all of us for witnessing the celebration of another Democracy Day today, the twelfth day of June 2024. This year also marks our nation’s 25 years of uninterrupted democratic governance.
On this day, 31 years ago, we entered our rites of passage to becoming a true and enduring democratic society.
Going through this passage was hard and dangerous. During the fateful six years that followed, we fought and struggled for our natural rights as human beings put on this earth by the divine hand of our Creator.
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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 amongst other sacrificed their very lives.
They bravely surrendered their futures, so that our nation might have a better one.
Let us honour the memories of Chief Anthony Enahoro, Chief Abraham Adesanya, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Chief Arthur Nwankwo, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Chief Frank Kokori, Chief Bola Ige, Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Chief Ganiyu Dawodu, Chief Ayo Fasanmi, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Chief Olabiyi Durojaiye, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Chima Ubani, and others who have transited to the higher realm.
The sacrifices of General Alani Akinrinade, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Professor Wole Soyinka, Chief Ralph Obioha, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, among many others, should never be forgotten. For at least six years, they bore the pains and difficulties of life in exile.
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While the exiled pro-democracy activists kept the fire burning, their comrades at home sustained the pressure on the military leadership. Among the latter are Olisa Agbakoba, Femi Falana, Abdul Oroh, Senator Shehu Sani, Governor Uba Sani, Chief Olu Falae, and other National Democratic Coalition leaders such as Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Ayo Opadokun.
The sacrifices they made, and the precious gift brought about by their selfless devotion can neither be repaid nor forgotten.
We could not have won the battle against 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. The undemocratic government of the day proscribed these media establishments and jailed their journalists for standing for free speech and civil liberties and the sanctity of the June 12 elections.
Despite the lethal might of the authoritarian 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, the munitions, and the threats of the strongmen.
The nation exited the yoke of dictatorship 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.
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 minimalize 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 standing. 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.
The other forms of government impose against the will of the people, democracy aims to make leaders who 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.
This is the great battle of our day and the major reason we specially celebrate this day as Democracy Day.
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 what 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 and fail to defend democracy 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 realization of our economic democracy.
I understand the economic difficulties we face as a nation.
Our economy has been in desperate need of reform for decades. It has been unbalanced because it was built on the flawed foundations and over-reliance on revenues from 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. I feel your pains. 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.
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 of the past would have done. We chose the path of cooperation over conflict.
Nobody 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 themselves 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.
The words of the American President Franklin Roosevelt certainly ring true:
“There are many ways of going forward. But only one way of standing still”!
We dare not slumber lest the good things awaiting our immediate future pass us by. We dare not plant our feet in idle standstill in the middle of the intersection of hope and despair.
We know the proper way forward and we shall take it!
The initial rays of a brighter tomorrow now appear on the horizon. An abundant future and our capacity to achieve that future lies within our reach. Democracy and the institutions it begets offer to take us to our profound destination.
Let us board this progressive train together. Together, let us move Nigeria forward.
Let’s continue to keep the fire of democracy burning. Let’s keep the torch lit for generations to come.
May God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria and preserve our democracy.
I wish us all Happy Democracy Day.
Former Military President, Gen Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), is set to launch his long-awaited autobiography.
Reports said the memoir titled: ‘A Journey In Service’, will be released on February 20, 2025, at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.
The development is coming 32 years after IBB left office.
The regime of the former Head of State was negatively shaped and defined by the adoption of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) policy, among other regulations, which sparked a nationwide riot by student union and other similar groups.
There was also the unresolved murder of the late journalist, Dele Giwa, and the June 12 annulment, among other controversial issues.
While in office, IBB was popular with the moniker “evil genius” and “Maradona”.
Explaining the nicknames, IBB said they were manufactured by the media because of his “deft political moves”.
“That’s the very good thing about the Nigerian media and Nigerian people. You have to anticipate them.
“If you anticipate them, then you live well with them. They call me ‘evil genius’, I marvel at that. The contradiction, you can’t be evil and then be a genius.”
“The definition of Maradona I got from the media is because of deft political moves. That’s the way the media described it”, he had said.
He succumbed to pressure in August 1993 when he “stepped aside” for the late Ernest Shonekan as the chairman of the Interim Government.
The late General Sanni Abacha would, however, topple the government in 1993 and would subsequently die in office in 1998.
Although IBB granted interviews to local and international media since leaving office, he has somehow found a way around some of these contentious issues that happened during his rule.
About seven years ago, he had expressed doubts about writing an autobiography, saying he was uncertain if Nigerians would “want to read about a dictator”.
He added that the public had a wrong impression of him, citing his role in the June 12 crisis, and some of the policies he unfurled between 1985 and 1993 as head of a junta.
However, he made a U-Turn and wrote the book.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will lead former Nigerian leaders and their counterparts in other parts of Africa to grace the much awaited autobiography.
According to an invite dispatched to dignitaries this week, the board of trustees of the IBB Presidential Library Foundation said the book launch will take place alongside fundraising for a Presidential Library.
The organisers said the event would be chaired by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, with President Bola Tinubu as the Special Guest of Honour.
The keynote address would be delivered by the former president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, while former vice-president Yemi Osinbajo would review the autobiography.
Other guests billed to attend include ex-presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Yakubu Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Goodluck Jonathan.
A former Minister of Defence Gen. Theophilus Danjuma and Chairman of BUA Group; Abdul Samad Rabiu, are named chief launchers.
Members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have expressed support for the recent court ruling that nullified the party’s congresses in Rivers State.
The NWC members made their position known during a visit to Governor Siminalayi Fubara at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Wednesday night, where they also held a closed-door meeting with the Governor.
The delegation included the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
Speaking after the meeting, the National Treasurer, Ahmed Mohammed, reaffirmed Governor Fubara’s status as the party leader in Rivers State.
He described their visit as part of an effort to realign the party and strategize for a comeback in the 2027 elections.
Mohammed stated their commitment to fostering unity, stability, and effective repositioning in the State.
He also expressed the NWC’s support for Ude Okoye, who was recently reinstated as the party’s National Secretary by the Court of Appeal.
Mohammed urged party stakeholders and governors to rally behind Okoye for the party’s progress.
The visit comes just days after PDP Youth leaders from across the country met with Governor Fubara in a bid to resolve internal party crises, with a focus on affirming his leadership in the state.
The court ruling that nullified the Ward, Local, and State congresses, which were won by allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has created ripples within the party.
The congresses, which were held last year, were marred by conflicting court orders, with a State High Court restraining the exercise while a Federal High Court allowed it.
Following the nullification, an interim committee emerged, saying it will oversee the leadership of the party in Rivers State.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has denied the request of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to issue an arrest warrant for Dr Oba Otudeko, Dr Bisi Onasanya and others due to lack of formal service on the defendants.
The court addressed multiple motions during the session, including the Prosecutor’s request for a warrant of arrest, which the Judge rejected due to the lack of formal service to the defendants. The Judge, therefore, granted an application for substituted service.
Bode Olanipekun, appearing for Dr Otudeko, sought an order restraining parties from irresponsible use of the media, Thus, the Judge advised all parties to exercise restraint in media engagement and urged journalists present to ensure accurate reporting of court proceedings.
The case has brought the EFCC under scrutiny for allegedly flouting procedural norms.
Critics have faulted the agency for going public with the charges without first formally serving Otudeko and other implicated parties. Legal experts argue that this approach undermines the principle of fair hearing and could prejudice the public against the accused.
The case has been adjourned to February 13 for arraignment.
