President Bola Tinubu has dismissed claims that he is intent on eviscerating the opposition and turning the country into a one-party state.
The president spoke on Wednesday, during an interfaith breakfast with senators, at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Addressing the legislators, Tinubu said criticism is inevitable in public office, noting that his critics had accused him of “killing opposition”.
“What they call you, any name, any nickname, critics must talk. When they accused me of killing opposition, I didn’t have a gun. I could have given myself a licence seeing as I have the authority,” he said.
Tinubu added that the country’s current challenges, including terrorism and banditry, require unity rather than division, urging Nigerians to align with the vision of the nation’s founding fathers.
“But I can’t blame anybody for jumping out of a sinking ship. What we have faced in the challenging period of this country, the terrorism and banditry, is causing us havoc,” he added.
“And we should pull together, unite in a way that our forefathers contemplated to bring about a constitutional democracy and pull us together. They didn’t say we should fight. It’s a good thing that we are working in harmony.”
The president also defended his administration’s economic reforms, saying they were achieved through collective effort and were aimed at tackling corruption.
“I have a lot of credit for bold reforms. Without your collaboration and inspiration, those reforms would not be possible. We are reformists together,” he said.
“What we gave up and what we stopped is monumental corruption in the subsidy system. We don’t want to participate in monumental corruption and arbitrage foreign exchange.”
He added that the reforms have placed the country on a path of stability and economic recovery.
“You don’t have to chase me for dollars; you can see what Nigeria is today. You should be proud of this great moment, and I am glad you are,” the president said.
“What we are enjoying is a stable economy, and prosperity is beckoning us. We need to work hard, and this attendance means a lot to me.”
