Emphasising that these demonstrations were always carried out without violence, President Bola Tinubu has admitted his involvement in many rallies over his career.
These comments were given while the President was at the Presidential Villa in Abuja receiving the Letter of Credence from Mr. Richard Mills Jr., the recently appointed United States Ambassador to Nigeria.
Emphasising the value of democracy and its institutions, President Tinubu pointed out that a democratic society cannot exist without demonstrations. He underlined, therefore, that no administration will allow demonstrations resulting in the loss of lives and property.
“Our rapport with America is rich. We stand for liberty and democracy. President Tinubu added, “Some of your forebears worked hard during our move to democracy; we remember the likes of Ambassador Howard Jeter.” “We look forward to Nigeria and the United States constantly working to expand cooperation on shared goals and democratic values.”
Looking back, Tinubu said, “We made our voices heard against dictatorship during the military regime, and I was part of the group that engaged in peaceful rallies without resorting to the destruction of property. We have fought hard to guarantee 25 years of unbroken democracy; I will keep on upholding our democracy.”
The President underlined, “We will never encourage any protests that lead to the destruction of lives and property,” even if he reaffirmed his belief in the right to demonstrate.
