Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna state, says President Bola Tinubu has demonstrated key attributes of a democrat, despite concerns about the state of civil liberties and democratic governance in the country.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Friday, Sani said no democracy is perfect, arguing that Nigeria has made significant progress since the return to civilian rule in 1999.
His remarks came in response to questions about whether recent actions by security agencies against protesters contradict Tinubu’s Democracy Day message encouraging criticism and dissent.
Earlier in his Democracy Day broadcast, the president had told Nigerians: “Criticise me, disagree with me, but never stop believing in Nigeria.”
Responding to concerns that the statement appeared inconsistent with reports of protests being restricted or disrupted, Sani defended the administration’s democratic credentials.
“As someone who participated actively in the struggle for the improvement of democracy in Nigeria, I can say that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as president of Nigeria, has demonstrated a lot of attributes of a democrat and a leader,” he said.
“I cannot say that he’s perfect.”
The governor noted that even long-established democracies continue to grapple with challenges relating to public protests and civil liberties.
“You will agree with me that many countries around the world, even America and many countries in Europe that have been practising democracy for over 250 years, still have issues,” he said.
Sani argued that public demonstrations are often subject to regulations and oversight by security agencies.
“Certainly, when you are coming out for a demonstration, you have to seek permission from the relevant security agencies,” he said.
“And there is certainly going to be a point where the security agencies intervene when there are security concerns.”
The governor, however, said he was not in a position to comment on specific incidents in Abuja, noting that he spent Democracy Day in Kaduna, where he participated in activities marking the occasion.
“I am not in Abuja. I am here in Kaduna today,” he said.
“You must have seen me going to the correctional centre where we freed about 97 prisoners today to mark Democracy Day.”
THE PROGRESS THUS FAR
Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic journey, Sani said the country has reasons to celebrate its 27 years of uninterrupted civilian rule, even as efforts continue to strengthen democratic institutions.
“For some of us who participated actively and were detained several times fighting for democracy, today is a day of celebration,” he said.
“We have had about 27 unbroken years of democratic dispensation in Nigeria, and it calls for celebration.”
While acknowledging that the country’s democracy remains a work in progress, the governor said more must be done to realise its full benefits.
“We cannot say that it is perfect, but I believe there are a lot of things that need to be done for us to achieve democratic ideals and principles,” he said.
