National Assembly invasion: Speaker Dogara hails lawmakers’ resistance

Dogara, who arrived at the National Assembly premises about 5.08pm on Tuesday, said it would take courageous citizens to defend democracy.

Commenting on the siege and the resilience of lawmakers, who guarded the National Assembly, the speaker said, “Democracy is always defended by courageous people. In any society where you run into the absence of courageous people, democracy dies and then sycophancy is enthroned, and with sycophancy, you cannot have democracy.

“What we have done therefore is service to our democracy and forever this day will go into history as one of those days our democracy faced serious trials and that true men and women of courage were able to ensure that it survived.

“You should be vigilant as it is said by so many philosophers that vigilance is the condition upon which God gives man liberty.

“I want to thank God also for most of you who sacrificed everything to come out here on account of the threat this institution was facing, to defend this institution which is the number one institution of any democracy.”