Obasanjo: There’s No Democracy in Africa, But the Forced Western Liberal Democracy

• Jonathan seeks debate on Africa’s democracy 

•Obi questions democracy practiced in Nigeria  

•Opposition, ruling parties now the same in Africa, Kenyan Professor Kanyinga, declares 

•LP chair says nation’s democracy surviving because of ex-president’s sacrifices

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Former Nigeria President, Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, declared that there was no democracy in Africa but the forced western liberal democracy.

Obasanjo spoke as African leaders, jurists, scholars and development partners converged in Bauchi for the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue 2026 to reflect on governance, elections and institution building,

Also, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has called on African countries to re-examine their democratic structures, warning that excessive concentration of power in the presidency was affecting governance and development on the continent.

Similarly, the presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has questioned the democracy being practiced in Nigeria and other African countries, saying the institutions of government required overhaul.

In the same vein, the Research Professor of Development Studies at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS), University of Nairobi, Prof Karuti Kanyinga, warned that African democracy was being hollowed out from within because ruling parties and opposition parties had become almost indistinguishable.

National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, however, urged Nigerian politicians to emulate the non-violent approach to politics that has come to be associated with the guiding principles of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Obasanjo, who was chairman of the dialogue held at the Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre (ICC), Bauchi, yesterday, addressed the theme: “Beyond Elections, Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?

According to him, “There is no democracy in Africa but borrowed and forced Liberal Democracy that has caged Africans.

“Is there African democracy? Let us not deceive ourselves. There’s nothing like African democracy. We were given Western Liberal Democracy by our Colonial Masters. I will come to that as I go along.”

The former President said, “Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, You have the Foundation that promotes peace and prosperity, this annual conference, generally titled Democracy Dialogue. But this year, a theme on which we are to deliberate is beyond election, can political parties and the judiciary save African democracy? That is handy.

“For quite some time, I have been increasingly worried about the performance of democracy in Africa, and indeed in other regions of the world. And I believe that Goodluck Jonathan Foundation was also worried about it, and that was why your theme last year was talking about the death of democracy or words to that effect.

“Let me emphasise that we are referring to Western Liberal Democracy, because the Chinese will not agree with you that their own democracy is dying. And maybe the Swiss, who have practiced some form of direct democracy, may also not agree with you that their democracy is dying.

“Liberal Western democracy is practiced in Europe, the Americas, substantial part of Southeast Asia, and Australia, and of course, here on the continent of Africa.

“Since our European Colonial Masters had nothing else to give us, what they are, we swallowed it, lock, stock, and barrel. Has it delivered, or is it delivering, or will it deliver? These are the questions that we must ask ourselves. And these are the questions that are very, very important.

According to him, “It doesn’t matter whether political parties remain as they remain, but I hope they will not remain as they remain. Or the judiciary is captured, controlled, or independent.

“Of what need is judiciary in government making? What purpose does it serve that when millions of people have voted, then five people will come to decide either in favour or against the decision of millions of people? Is that democracy? It cannot be democracy. And if that cannot be democracy, what is the judiciary role in democracy?

“It’s like when the Prime Minister, Late Akintola was dealing with the Midwesterners in the Western region of those days after Midwestern region had been created. And Akpata came and said, that, ‘Prime Minister, I shouldn’t be going to the Midwest because my name is Akpata, it’s a Yoruba name’.

“And he said, ‘spell your Apata. And he said, A-K-P-A-T-A. That Yoruba spelling of Apata has no K in it’. So, the Prime Minister said, what is K doing in Apata? And same, we can ask ourselves, what is the judiciary doing in government and democracy? But why has it not delivered?”

“Let me go a little bit back. A simple definition of democracy, simple. It’ss a system of government where power belongs to the people. Simple, Citizens exercise their power either by voting directly on laws, which is still practiced in Switzerland by and large, or through representative democracy, have chosen leaders to make rules for them and on their behalf.

“So, what we are practicing is representative democracy. But what is the objective of true working and delivering democracy and governance? I am complete that it is in good governance, which take care of the welfare and well-being of the people, all the people, including the guarantee, equity, sense and feeling of belonging, and is taking them forward at the nations’ life and activity, protection of life and property, no marginalization, no discrimination, no exclusion.”

“Democracy that works is meant to deliver dividends of democracy in terms of quality of life and living for all the people in a geographical entity, all the nation.

“So, we have no African democracy. The West, or the Western liberal democracy that we inherited, grew from monarchy. Hence, you can have government and loyal opposition, loyal to the monarchy. But when you talk of loyal opposition in an African setting, and I have gone into many of African languages, opposition means enemy. That’s the word.

“Then you have a loyal enemy. So what do you do with your enemy? You crush him and destroy him. And that’s what we have. But when Western democracy was developing, the monarchy was there. And the government and opposition were all loyal to the monarchy. Democracy without opposition has no African context, no African content.

“And if you try to use what is not meant for you to serve your purpose, it’s like a dress for which you are not measured. You trying to put it on. It’s either too small for you or too big for you. It will not fit, and it will not serve your purpose.

“In practice, what we have, we have one party form, press half-boost. If you win by one vote, then you take it all. And whatever I have does not matter. See, poor management of diversities.

“You cannot have a democracy that completely rides roughshod over diversity, because you have civil society and mass society. The core is diversity. Nigeria is what it is because of our diversity.

“Remove diversity out of Nigeria, they will probably have the Republic of Odudua. That will not be Nigeria. Or Republic of Danfodio. That will not be Nigeria. That diversity must be nourished and must be taken care of,” he added.

Jonathan, on his part, has called on African countries to re-examine their democratic structures, warning that excessive concentration of power in the presidency is affecting governance and development on the continent.

He said the conversation must focus on models that promote power-sharing, accountability and stability.

While noting that the dialogue was timely given ongoing debates about democracy in Africa, he added: “We will listen to critical conversations here about the brand of democracy that could be good for Africa, whether we have one at all.

“I think an earlier conversation was held at the Obasanjo Library. So, probably we can partner with them and see whether we can review it. If you look at the structure of government alone, do we really continue with one man having maximum power to cut the yam anyhow he likes?

“Or do we dilute the powers and adopt a model similar to the Swiss model, where any major decision that will affect the country is hardly possible unless members of that team take that decision?”

The chairman who delivered the vote of thanks on behalf of the Foundation, argued that collective decision-making contributes to stability. 

“Or if the country must spend big money on a big project, it must be agreed by everybody that the project is meaningful to the country. And probably that is why, even without resources, Switzerland has one of the strongest economies in the world because it is politically stable. No one person dictates what happens in the country and the parliament is very, very strong.”

He, however, suggested that Africa considers a return to aspects of the parliamentary system practiced at independence. 

“So, probably the way to go is back to the pre-independence and early independence period of having a parliamentary system where at least the powers are shared.

“You have the chief executive of the country that manages the resources, the prime minister, and the president that commands the troops, like the president or the king or the queen in England and in other countries. 

“The prime minister too will respect the president that commands the troops. And the president that commands the troops must respect the prime minister because he holds the course of the country. So at least the presidential powers are divided, shared by two people, unlike in Nigeria where one person has it.”

Presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress(NDC), Peter Obi, questioned the democracy being practiced in Nigeria and other African countries, saying institutions of government required overhaul.

Obi further criticised Nigeria’s judiciary, saying it was helping to destroy democracy.

“I’m surprised that I have to make remarks, but I have to start by thanking our former  President for this consistency in dialogue and discussing democracy. It portrays you as a true democrat, which you’ve lived since you left office. And I thank our host for this wonderful thing.

“As somebody who benefited from Nigerian democracy and judiciary, I was just talking to somebody seated here, a judge of Supreme Court, who, as Justice of the Supreme Court, who I never met in my life, but they wrote the judgment that made me governor.

“We just turned around here and said, where will you get that type of judgment in Nigeria today? It is impossible. I never met her. I met her two years after being Governor, and he tapped me and said, I am just such a social person. But he wrote my judgment. I was in court for three years, challenging my election.

“Five Justices that I never met, one day gave judgment in my favour. It cannot happen in Nigeria today. I went to Court of Appeal, five judges I never met, gave judgment in my favour.

“So, if you look at that and look at what is happening today in Nigeria, where Professors are now aiding illiterates to rig election, where our lawmakers have removed forgery as an offense in electoral matter, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), defending forgery.

“Our religious leaders are now praying for criminal politicians for blessing. We have a crisis, and above all, our judges are now singing ‘on your mandate we shall stand’. So, it is a big deal, and for all of us, unexamined life is not worth living.”

Obi stressed that, “It is time for every Nigerian to sit down and ask ourselves, where is our nation going? We need to reverse this, because the abuse we are allowing today will take its revenge on our children. God bless all of you.”

President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, called for deeper collaboration between the judiciary and political parties to strengthen democratic governance across Africa.

Represented by a Judge of the Appeal Court, Jos Division, Justice Monsurat Bolaji Yusuf, Monica Dongban emphasised that the evolving political, technological, and socioeconomic landscape makes engagement between the courts and political institutions imperative.

“The strength of democratic governance is anchored in strong institutions. This demands adherence to constitutionalism, respect for the rule of law, and commitment to justice, accountability, and peaceful resolution of disputes,” she said.

She described political parties as the primary vehicles for democratic participation and leadership recruitment, while framing the judiciary as the impartial guardian of constitutional order.

Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri, said, “To my mind, we are today here gathered again because it’s an annual thing. I remember that I kick-started it in Bayelsa State when he started moving to the states. And today’s topic is about democracy. I’d like to bring it home to Bayelsa State. Democracy has been well defined by former President Obasanjo.

“And democracy is about the rule of law, and it’s built on three pillars. The pillars of justice, equity, and fairness. And I believe that we have missed the road of democracy in Nigeria long ago. Because there is no justice where oil in Oloibiri that gave this country an oil commercial producing country status.

“Oloibiri today is a shadow of itself. And all of the money come to Abuja at the end of the month to come and share oil money. I don’t think that that’s what democracy is all about.

“I don’t believe that the local government that brings so much money to Nigeria, Southern Ijaw Local Government, where I invited former President Obasanjo, who graciously came. For 60 years, they have no access to the headquarters of that local government. It is only recently that they have concluded a 630 meters long bridge to the headquarters of that local government.

“And so to my mind, there is total injustice where I have just Eight local government areas. Some other states have 40 local government areas and above. And the resources from my State is used to share to those local government areas. And I have only eight. There is injustice.

“And whoever that becomes President, the injustice continues. The unfairness continues. Resources are expropriated. Today there is gold in Zamfara and other places. And what do we experience? Insecurity. Most of the insecurity is also traced to the discovery of gold in that far North.

“So, my dear leader, my conclusion is that for democracy to thrive in Nigeria, there must be true federalism. I delivered a lecture in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, about a year ago on true federalism. And until Nigeria begins to practice federalism, we will have some pseudo-democratic, pseudo-autocratic, and sometimes even a tyrannical government in this country.”

In his keynote address, Prof Kanyinga,  warned that African democracy was being hollowed out from within because ruling parties and opposition parties have become almost indistinguishable,

Kanyinga said the continent’s political crisis was driven less by ideology and more by money and weak capacity.

“We have never seen the difference in how they govern,” the Professor of Development Studies at the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi, told delegates.

“I’m tempted to argue that even opposition political parties, when they get into office, lack the capacity to deliver. The difference between opposition parties and ruling government is that they are all political parties. They are essentially the same.”

Citing examples from Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia, he said: “In Nigeria, a seat in the House of Representatives requires not less than ₦500 million. In Kenya, it’s about $300,000. To contest for governor, you need close to ₦2 billion.”

“That pressure forces aspirants to rely on private businesses. The moment you use private businesses to support you, and the moment you win, they capture your policies,” he warned. 

The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, urged Nigerian politicians to emulate the non-violent approach to politics that has come to be associated with the guiding principles of Jonathan.

Speaking to journalists in Bauchi, on the sidelines of the annual lecture series she argued that Nigeria’s democracy survived the doomsday predictions of bookmakers in 2015 because of Jonathan’s concession to defeat in that year’s election, even before the final votes were tallied.

According to a statement by the Labour party National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, Usman, said such a principled approach to politics had never before been witnessed on the Nigerian political horizon.

She maintained that the former President, from the inception of his presidency, consistently maintained that neither his election nor remaining in power was worth the blood of any Nigerian, and that on the day that this oft-repeated refrain was put to the test, the former President lived up to his preaching.

While imploring politicians angling for the same office in 2027 to play according to the rules, Usman enjoined today’s politicians to remember the eternal wise saying of Warren Buffett that someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.