President Bola Tinubu has reacted to the name-calling he suffers as a political leader.
He said he never bothered and would not consider silencing anyone.
Rather, he noted, he would invoke the power of democracy to defend those who insult him.
He noted this during his ongoing address at the National Assembly:
“Do not be afraid to hear an unkind word spoken against you. Some of the best advice a politician gets sometimes comes from his most ferocious opponents. We dare not seek silence because the imposed silence of repressed voices breeds chaos and ill will, not the harmonics of democracy in the long term.
“While malicious slander and libel should not go unattended, no one should bear the brunt of injustice for merely writing a bad report about me or calling me names. Democracy requires a fair degree of tolerance for harsh words and stinging insults. Call me names, call me whatever you will, and I will still call upon democracy to defend your right to do so. Mr. Senate President, Mr. Speaker, Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members.”
