President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday disclosed that he was not violent when he took part in the protest against the military regime in the country.
He said this at the Presidential Villa when he received a letter of credence from Richard Mille Jr., the new United States (US) ambassador to Nigeria.
According to the President, he worked to uphold Nigeria’s 25 years of unbroken democracy.
”Our relationship with America is rich. We believe in democracy and freedom.
“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.
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”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.
”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.
He added that the continent needs a mutually beneficial partnership with the United States.
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 has since appealed to the protest planners to shelve the demonstration.
