President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday pledged to safeguard democracy and the rule of law as cornerstones of his administration.
Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President Bayo Onanuga in a statement said President Tinubu explained that these principles would ensure the nation’s unity and stability.
Speaking at an interfaith breaking of fast at the Presidential Villa with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee and the Inter-Party Advisory Council, the President emphasized internal party democracy, particularly through direct primaries, as essential to credible elections.
“I am a die-hard democrat,” President Tinubu said, recounting his history of activism against military rule, including protests, detention, exile, and involvement with the pro-democracy group NADECO.
“There’s no threat from any democrat under my watch. The rule of law must prevail in any democracy. The majority will have their way, and the minority will have their say” the statement noted.
President Tinubu reaffirmed his commitment to free and fair elections, noting his own history as an opposition figure.
“I want democracy, and since democracy is back here, there’s a fundamental voluntariness that is enshrined,” he told the group.
In his remarks, National Chairman of the APC Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, praised the President’s leadership in managing Nigeria’s diverse society and pledged the party’s support for his agenda.
Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Yusuf Dantalle on his part, raised concerns about provisions in the newly signed 2026 Electoral Act, urging President Tinubu to reconsider requirements such as mandatory National Identity Numbers for voter registration, which he warned could disenfranchise eligible voters.
Dantalle also called for restoring financial aid to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for political parties and reinstating indirect primaries.
Dantalle announced a forthcoming film, “Unbroken Democracy,” backed by Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, chronicling 26 years of Nigerian democracy.
He said the event is set to premiere at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
