Tinubu: I’m a Die Hard Democrat, True Democrats Must Submit to the Rule of Law

• Doubles down on electoral act amid IPAC’s concerns, says he had no choice

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu, last night, at a parley with fellow politicians described himself as a die-hard democrat, adding that politicians as true democrats must always submit to the rule of law.

He spoke while addressing leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Executives and National Working Committee (NWC), as well as the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) during the interfaith breaking of fasts at the State House, Abuja.

The president declared: “I followed the leadership destiny that God has done and chosen for me. There’s no doubt about that. I’m a die-hard democrat, and I follow that belief wholeheartedly, committedly, to a united country; Nigeria. That principle and that philosophy will live and die with me.”

Tinubu traced his democratic credentials through decades of political struggle, including detention, exile, and the formation of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) during past military regime of late General Sani Abacha

According to him, “We are all democrats and we all subscribed to this democracy voluntarily, willingly, and we’ve been at it selflessly in the last 26 years. Some of us have the bruises from it, struggling for it. We went to detention, we protested… We went on exile and all of that. We formed NADECO. We got here.”

Tinubu stressed that his commitment to democratic ideals was not merely political positioning but a deeply held personal philosophy.

Speaking directly to IPAC National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, the president stressed that party membership must remain voluntary, even when it brings persecution.

“We are all democrats, voluntarily – party alliances, party ideologies or no ideology, party boat, party platform, in whichever form – it’s voluntary. Be persecuted for it. So, no threat from any democrat,” he said.

Tinubu’s remarks came against the backdrop of significant controversy surrounding the Electoral Act 2026, which he signed into law on February 18 after it passed the National Assembly with an overwhelming majority.

The legislation drew criticisms from opposition parties and civil society groups over provisions including the optional electronic transmission of results and new requirements for party membership registers.

“The Rule of Law must prevail in any democracy. Yes, Rule of Law. Majority will have their say and their way, and minority will have their say and might not have their way. That is the sweetness, the essence of democracy,” president stated.

He urged political actors to engage in intellectual debate rather than confrontation: “Argue it, debate it intellectually, interrogate each other, honestly and sincerely, but we are committed to the same thing, peace and stability of the country, and we adhere to it.”

Speaking to his decision to sign the Electoral Act amendments, he acknowledged IPAC’s con-cerns and at the same time, defended his actions as constitutionally necessary.

The new law, among others, mandates direct or consensus primaries, abolishing delegate voting, requires digital membership registers submitted 21 days before primaries, and restricts courts from stopping electoral processes.

“That I signed the Electoral Act, I have no choice. I don’t want to throw the country into turmoil of argument. There is an overwhelming majority by the National Assembly that passed the law.

“If I have serious question or reservation about it, I would have raised it. But I have none. I submitted myself to the principle of Rule of Law, democracy. I signed, the rest is history. We’ll meet at the polls.”

Tinubu noted that he had been in opposition himself for years without threatening anyone except “military junta,” and expected others to show similar restraint.

“I’m a registered voter. I’m on the same platform with you, or not, I’m going to stick to my platform. When it was against me years past, I toed the line,” he said.

The president struck a conciliatory but firm tone, acknowledging that political competition could be bruising but must remain within democratic bounds.

“The game is sweet only when you are winning. It’s alright we must accommodate one another, we must help one another. We must strengthen the platform. But democracy is it? Yes, there must be peace, stability and commitment to Rule of Law,” he observed.

Earlier, Dantalle, had praised Tinubu as a “listening father and an inclusive president” but raised several concerns about the new Electoral Act.

He revealed that IPAC had previously worked behind closed doors with INEC to prevent democracy from being derailed during the 2023 election collation process.

Dantalle specifically appealed for reconsideration of three provisions: the 21-day deadline for submitting membership registers with mandatory National Identification Numbers, which would disenfranchise many voters; the removal of indirect primaries, which disadvantaged smaller parties with limited resources; and the withdrawal of government subventions to political parties.

“We are not saying give us money to go and spend, no, but prudently what we can use to take care of administration of our political parties. You are a product of multi-party democracy, Your Excellency,” he pleaded.

Dantalle also requested federal assistance to relocate IPAC from its current “rented apartment”, noting that the council had buried many potential crises to allow the president to focus on governance.