Democracy best form of governance – Tinubu 

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President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to keep in mind that no matter how complex democracy may seem, it remains the optimal form of governance in the long run.

During his national broadcast on Democracy Day, Tinubu emphasized that Nigerians must recognize that there are individuals among them who will attempt to exploit present challenges to undermine and dismantle the democracy for which so much has already been sacrificed.

He said: “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.”

He vowed to be morally and constitutionally bound to preserve democracy, which he described as a precious 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.