I will govern with fairness – Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has said in his commemorative Democracy Day speech that he would govern the country with ‘fairness’ and “respect for the rule of law, commitment to always uphold the dignity of all our people.”
Former Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari had designated ‘June 12’ as Democracy Day, in honour of the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential poll, late businessman Moshood Abiola.
Abiola would later die in in military detention during a visit by then US secretary of state Ms. Condoleezza Rice.
Speaking on Abiola’s travails, President Tinubu, himself an active player in the pro-democracy struggle for the restoration of Abiola’s mandate, hailed the deceased’s “sacrifice and martyrdom”.
He described Abiola as “the custodian of the sacred mandate that was so cruelly annulled.”
“He sacrificed his life in unyielding, patriotic defense of the ideals of democracy as symbolized in his choice, by his fellow countrymen and women, as their duly-elected President.
“There was an easier choice for him. It was to forgo the justice of his cause and opt for the path of ease and capitulation in the face of the tyranny of power. To his eternal credit and immortal glory, Abiola said ‘no’. He demonstrated the time-tested eternal truth that there are certain ideals and principles that are far more valuable than life itself,” President Tinubu, said.
The president equally hailed Alfred Rewane and Gen. Musa Yar’Adua among the other victims of suspected state-sponsored killing during the turbulent period for Nigeria’s democratic rebirth.
He urged Nigerians to guard the country’s democracy “and protect it like a precious jewel.”
“For, a people can never truly appreciate the freedoms and rights democracy guarantees them until they lose it,” he said.
Also in his speech, President Tinubu urged Nigerians to endure the hiked petrol price, brought about by the government’s decision to remove subsidy on petrol. He assured the situation would subsequently normalised.
