President Bola Tinubu says he took part in the protest against the military regime in the country but was not violent.
Tinubu spoke on Thursday at the presidential villa when he received a letter of credence from Richard Mille Jr., the new United States ambassador to Nigeria.
The president said he has worked to uphold Nigeria’s 25 years of unbroken democracy.
”Our relationship with America is rich. We believe in democracy and freedom,” Tinubu said.
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“Some of your predecessors worked hard during our transition to democracy, and we remember the likes of Ambassador Howard Jeter.
”We look forward to Nigeria and the United States continuously working to expand cooperation on shared goals and democratic values.
”During the military era, we made our voices heard against dictatorship, and I was part of the group that engaged in peaceful protests without resorting to the destruction of property.
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”In as much as we believe that demonstrations are part of democracy, we will never encourage any protests that lead to the destruction of lives and property.”
Tinubu told the US ambassador that Nigeria is ready to play its role as the largest democracy in Africa.
The president added that the continent needs a mutually beneficial partnership with the US.
Mills said the US will continue to support Nigeria’s democracy to survive.
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Earlier, the president received letters of credence from Aiyub Bin Omar, high commissioner of Malaysia to Nigeria, and Phild Nani Kereng, high commissioner of Botswana.
The president’s comment on the protest comes amid reports of a planned youth-led nationwide demonstration over the pervasive economic hardship.
The protest is reportedly billed to commence on August 1.
The federal government and Tinubu have appealed to those behind the protest to shelve the demonstration.
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