President Bola Tinubu has said he participated in the protest against the military regime in the country but was not violent.
He spoke at the presidential villa on Thursday when he received a letter of credence from Richard Mille Jr., the new United States ambassador to Nigeria.
Tinubu said he has worked to maintain Nigeria’s 25 years of unbroken democracy.
“Our relationship with America is rich. We believe in democracy and freedom,” Tinubu said.
“Some of your predecessors worked hard during our transition to democracy, and we remember the likes of Ambassador Howard Jeter.
“We look forward to Nigeria and the United States continuously working to expand cooperation on shared goals and democratic values.
“During the military era, we made our voices heard against dictatorship, and I was part of the group that engaged in peaceful protests without resorting to the destruction of property.
“In as much as we believe that demonstrations are part of democracy, we will never encourage any protests that lead to the destruction of lives and property.”
The president told the US ambassador that Nigeria is willing to play its role as the largest democracy in the continent of Africa.
Tinubu also said that the continent needs a mutually beneficial partnership with the United States.
The new ambassador said the US will continue to support Nigeria’s democracy to survive.
The president had earlier received letters of credence from Aiyub Bin Omar, high commissioner of Malaysia to Nigeria, and Phild Nani Kereng, high commissioner of Botswana.
President Tinubu’s comment on the protest comes amidst reports of a planned youth-led nationwide demonstration due to the pervasive economic hardship in the country.
The protest is reportedly scheduled to begin on August 1.
The federal government and Tinubu have appealed to the people planning the protest to drop the demonstration.