President Bola Tinubu, on Monday morning addressed Nigerians on the occasion of this year’s Democracy Day celebration, highlighting its significance to the sociopolitical development of the country.
The President’s 25-paragraphe speech, aired from 7am on major national television and radio stations, spoke to a couple of national issues and realities. Here are five takeaways from the speech:
1. The President said the democracy, which Nigeria enjoys, was purchased at a great cost, involving some, including the icon of the June 12, 1993 struggle, Bashorun Moshood Abiola, paying the ultimate price with their lives, so it must not be taken for granted.
2. The conduct of the 2023 general elections and the fact it was so keenly contested is a positive evidence that democracy is very much alive and well in Nigeria and bears the significance of the essence of popular democracy and all it stands for; that nothing is constant and that roles can be reversed.
3. He pointed out the abuse of the judicial system to truncate democracy and all it stands for will no longer be tolerated in Nigeria, noting that the reform of the legal system in the country has begun with the recent assent to the constitutional amendment, harmonizing retirement age for judicial officers.
4. Democracy, according to him, as it was expressed by MKO Abiola’s campaign manifesto 30 years ago, is meant to be a tool to fight poverty and give the masses a chance to a decent life and not just the freedom of choice to get people into offices.
5. Tinubu explained the reason for removing fuel subsidy, which he described as a decision that must be collectively taken by all Nigerians, in a bid to save the country from eventual collapse, even as he assured that the sacrifice will not be in vain, but repaid with infrastructure development.
