Nigeria has steadied the course of democracy since quitting military rule in 1999 to become the most populous democracy on African soil, President Bola Tinubu has declared.
Tinubu made the remarks in his national broadcast on the 25th anniversary of unbroken democracy in Nigeria on June 12, Democracy Day.
According to the President, Nigeria had become 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.
“Democracy is neither a foreign nor abstract concept devoid of real-life meaning for us. Neither can we afford to reduce or minimalise it to being nothing but the mere holding of periodic elections where one candidate and party outdo another,” he said.
According to the President, 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 bearing. That we have experienced peaceful transitions of government affirms our democratic temperament,” he said.
According to him, 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,” he said.
