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By Chibuzo Muo
Love him or hate him, President Bola Tinubu has shown that he is a true democrat. In the days of the struggle for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria, he was in the forefront. As a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), he helped to battle the military into submission. The heat was such that the military conducted a general election and handed over to the civilian government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999.
Since then, Tinubu has not looked back in his efforts to sustain the democratic credentials of Nigeria. At the inception of this Fourth Republic in 1999, he contested and won the election to become the governor of Lagos State. His exploits as governor of Lagos are well known. When he established some local council development areas for easier administration and development of Lagos, the Federal Government battled him to no end. It even denied Lagos its statutory allocations for months because of this, but Tinubu stood his ground. This is why he has remained relevant today in Lagos.
As a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), President Tinubu was instrumental to the wrestling of power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which had boasted that it would rule non-stop for 60 years. Due to his doggedness and tenacity, he galvanized his party men and women to achieve a resounding victory for his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015. Buhari was to win for a second term in office in 2019.
As a democrat and loyal partyman, Tinubu supported Buhari all through his tenure. He did not mind that there were serious criticisms from the opposition elements. That was why in his bid to become President, he garnered, effortlessly, the support of Buhari and many other presidential aspirants on the platform of the APC. A great number of them stepped down for him in the primary election of the party held in June 2023.
Even as President, Tinubu has continued to weather the storm of governing a difficult country like Nigeria. He has taken bold decisions which may appear biting now, but will eventually lead to a better economy tomorrow. Our economy had relied heavily on revenues from oil. His first major decision was the removal of fuel subsidy, which many Nigerians, including major opposition politicians, were in agreement that it should be removed.
No doubt, the action has caused some hardship in the country. Prices of many commodities have gone up. President Tinubu acknowledged this hardship in his Democracy Day broadcast on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. He said the reforms his administration embarked upon “are necessary repairs required to fix the economy over the long run so that everyone has access to economic opportunity, fair pay and compensation for his endeavour and labour.” Besides, he realized the pains the removal caused a number of Nigerians and instituted some palliative measures to cushion the effects of the removal.
Some Nigerians have criticized the President for the current turn of events in the country. Those Nigerians have a right to their opinion. The beauty of it all is that President Tinubu never ordered that any of his critics should be arrested. He did not also move against the Organised Labour which went on strike and shut down the national grid recently. Rather, he followed the path of negotiation. This, to a great extent, shows the high regards the President has for the rule of law and the rights of workers to protest over some issues. He has promised to send an executive bill on the new minimum wage to the National Assembly soon. This shows him as a listening President who cares for his people no matter certain opinions to the contrary.
In his Democracy Day broadcast, Tinubu further demonstrated his love for democracy and the ideals he wants to bequeath to Nigeria. As one of those who took the risk to midwife the birth of this democracy, he pledged to preserve this form of government and to protect the rights, freedoms, and liberties of Nigerians.
Speaking about the struggles that engendered the current democracy we are enjoying, he said, “Despite the lethal might of the military government, what appeared to be high and unyielding walls of dictatorship came tumbling down. The dismal fortress exists no longer. The power of an idea, the power of the people proved more potent than all the guns and munitions, and the threats of the strongmen. The nation exited the yoke of military rule in 1999 to become the most populous democracy on African soil, the beacon of democratic self-determination for the black race and one of the largest democracies in the world.”
It is important to note that this democracy did not come easy. Chief Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party had presumably won the June 12, 1993 presidential election. The then military President, Ibrahim Babangida, annulled the poll. This precipitated a series of crisis that led to the death of many citizens, including Abiola himself. In recognition of the sacrifices of Abiola, former President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2019, changed our democracy day from May 29 to June 12 every year.
Being a man who recognizes the efforts of others in any struggle, Tinubu did not fail to recognize the efforts of some statesmen who also fought to ensure that democracy is enthroned in Nigeria. He urged Nigerians to honour the memories of Chief Anthony Enahoro, Chief Abraham Adesanya, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Chief Arthur Nwankwo, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Chief Frank Kokori, Chief Bola Ige, Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Chief Ganiyu Dawodu, Chief Ayo Fasanmi, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Chief Olabiyi Durojaiye, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Chima Ubani, and a host of others who have transited to the great beyond. “In this struggle, the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, the most significant symbol of our democratic struggle, his wife, Kudirat, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Pa Alfred Rewane, among others sacrificed their very lives,” the President recalled.
He did not fail to recognize the sacrifices of people like General Alani Akinrinade, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Professor Wole Soyinka, Chief Ralph Obioha and Chief Cornelius Adebayo who bore the pains and difficulties of life in exile when the military ran roughshod over the nation. Some other pro-democracy activists like Olisa Agbakoba, Femi Falana, Olu Falae, Shehu Sani, Chief Ayo Opadokun and Chief Ayo Adebanjo were not forgotten. He also paid glowing tribute to Nigerian journalists who fought alongside pro-democracy activists to enthrone democracy in Nigeria.
It is a truism that people do not appreciate what they have until they lose it. Those who are criticizing Tinubu today will come to appreciate him in the fullness of time. For now, he appears wicked and insensitive to some critics, but what he is doing amounts to administering some bitter pills that will cure a malignant tumor. Every Nigerian needs to support him to achieve a truly prosperous nation. As President Tinubu put it, “Let’s continue to keep the fire of democracy burning. Let’s keep the torch lit for generations to come.”
•Muo, a public affairs analyst, wrote this piece from Lagos
