"As President of this nation, I am morally and constitutionally bound to preserve this precious form of governance. I vow to do my utmost to protect your rights, freedoms, and liberties as citizens of Nigeria."
President Bola Tinubu has vowed to defend democracy, stating that as a direct beneficiary of the struggle, he has a moral obligation to preserve Nigeria's democracy.
The President made this statement on Wednesday during a national broadcast to commemorate the nation's Democracy Day.
Mr Tinubu, a prominent member of the pro-democracy movement during the military rule in the 90s, said he has a double burden: "moral and constitutional".
"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.
"As President of this nation, I am morally and constitutionally bound to preserve this precious form of governance. I vow to do my utmost to protect your rights, freedoms, and liberties as citizens of Nigeria," he said.
Mr Tinubu served as a senator in the short-lived Third Republic and was vocal in challenging Ibrahim Babangida's decision to annul the 12 June presidential election.
Additionally, Mr Tinubu, alongside many politicians and activists, fought against the Sani Abacha junta while in exile in the 90s. He returned to the country after the demise of Mr Abacha.
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He is believed to have played a major role in former President Muhammadu Buhari's decision to change Democracy Day from 29 May to 12 June.
Nigeria's Democracy Day celebration was held on 29 May before Mr Buhari changed it in 2018 to 12 June in commemoration of the 12 June 1993 presidential election annulled by the military government.
To preserve democracy, Mr Tinubu said he is going to do whatever is necessary to "cement democracy as our way of life".
He equally warned that there are those seeking to undermine democracy by taking advantage of challenges.
"Although the challenges are steep, and multwillgrateful to lead Nigeria at this moment in her history and at this point in her democratic journey.
"I come before you also to declare that our most important work remains before us. The 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 fades," President Tinubu said.
