The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has called on Nigerians to embrace dialogue as various national crises plague Nigeria.

 In a statement on Saturday, Mr Gbajabiamila explained that since the return of democratic governance in 1999, the country had witnessed progress and development.

He pointed to physical infrastructure, freedom of choice, and expression, which are part of the key pillars of democracy.

Mr Gbajabiamila further expressed delight that Nigerians “have been giving their democratic leaders support” in the past two decades, calling for more support and cooperation.

The lawmaker congratulated Nigerians for attaining 22 years of uninterrupted democracy.

He further stated that every democracy had its peculiarities, saying that despite its challenges, there was no question about the appropriateness of democracy in today’s world.

“Dialogue remains key in resolving all democratic bottlenecks; I am calling for more of such in our body polity and among the citizens,” he said.

Mr Gbajabiamila commended the All Progressives Congress-led regime under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari “for redefining democracy.”

He added that Mr Buhari’s regime brought democratic dividends closer to Nigerians through various people-oriented programmes and policies.

Mr Gbajabiamila commended the president for declaring June 12 Nigeria’s democracy day, paying tributes to the country’s founding fathers “who struggled day and night” to make the country united.

The speaker also commended Nigerians for their resilience and belief in democracy, urging them to remain united and defend the country’s growing democracy.