President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that despite being intensely disliked by some individuals, he remains the democratically elected President of Nigeria.
Speaking during his visit to Benue State to assess the security situation following the killing of hundreds of people, Tinubu noted that personal hatred and political attacks come with leadership responsibilities.
“But do not deter my commitment to upholding democracy”, he noted.
“Not everybody will like you in politics,” he said. “They hate me like hell too, but I am here. I am the President, and under a democratic regime, I made a promise that I will even protect my abusers and accusers with the principles of democracy and freedom of prosperity. We will protect them! Abuse me all you want.”
Tinubu, while addressing Governor Hyacinth Alia, stressed the need to prioritize human life above all, making direct reference to the farmer-herder clashes that have plagued the state for years.
“The value of human life is greater than that of a cow,” Tinubu said adding that “It is only when you open the door to conflict that political enemies will come in.
“Political enemies, they do not want you to succeed. Are you just realizing that, Governor? No matter what I do, they will still abuse me”, he added.
According to him, he “regularly monitors media commentaries and even draws lessons from his critics.
“I read papers every time and listen to the TV when I have time… those that are abusing me and what type of abuse and I am learning from some of the critical ones too because I can’t see it all.”
The President’s remarks come against the backdrop of escalating political tension and heightened insecurity in parts of the North Central, particularly Benue, where clashes have continued to claim lives and displace communities.
Benue has been one of the epicentres of violence with several lives lost in the recurrent attacks.
Tinubu’s visit to Benue is his first since assuming office, amid growing calls for stronger federal intervention in the region’s security challenges
