President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday addressed Nigerians on the occasion of the Democracy Day. In his speech, the president paid tribute to Nigerians who paid the price to ensure democracy thrives in the country.

President of Republic of Rwanda, Mr Paul Kagame has urged African leaders to not just focus on fighting corruption, but should also create values and wealth in order to lift their people out of prevailing poverty. Kagame gave the admonition at a National Democracy Day Anti-Corruption Summit organised by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja on Tuesday.

The Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide (YCYW) on Wednesday in Lagos described President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration and celebration of June 12 as “Democracy Day” as a new dawn of hope. The youth group, however, said that a lot of what Abiola stood for as a distinct democrat had yet to be manifested in the polity.

President Muhammadu Buhari says most instances of inter-communal and inter-religious strife and violence were and are still being sponsored or incited by ethnic, political or religious leaders. The President, who stated this in his Democracy Day address on Wednesday in Abuja, said that the leaders were hoping to benefit by “exploiting our divisions and fault lines, thereby weakening our country’’.

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law, the bill to make June 12 Democracy Day according to his National Assembly Liaison Officer, Senator Ita Enang. Last year, the president had declared June 12 as Democracy Day in honour of MKO Abiola, presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election. The new law adopts June 12 as a public holiday in Nigeria, replacing May 29 that will only be marked as a handover/inauguration of new governments in the country.