Nigeria’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has decried the failure of democracy in Nigeria, and by extension, Africa due to what he described as its foreigness to native ideas.
According to him, the western-styled democracy which Nigeria has adopted is not working because it is not autochthonous to the African socio-political milieu.
Obasanjo made this remark on Monday at an event in Ladi Kwali Hall, Abuja Intercontinental Hotel.
Commenting on the improprieties in the corridors of power, Obasanjo bemoaned the frequent use of the courts to subvert the will of the people. He criticised politicians who are fond of taunting people with the ‘go to court’ cliche, even when they know the courts would not remedy their grievances.
“Democracy in Africa has failed because it is not African,” he declared.
He expressed concerns that democracy in its current form had devolved into mere representation rather than true governance for the people.
“Democracy has now become representative democracy, and it hasn’t taken care of everyone,” Obasanjo said.
He stated that this stands in stark contrast to the traditional African systems of governance, which, in his view, were more attuned to the needs of the people.
“Abraham Lincoln described democracy as government of the people, by the people, and for the people. But what do we have today? The Greek democracy affected everyone. Now, democracy has become representative democracy, and it has not taken care of everyone,” he stated.
The former president further berated the lack of justice in the democratic process, particularly regarding electoral disputes.
He lamented the common refrain of “go to court” when citizens seek redress, despite the prevailing lack of confidence in the judiciary.
“You will say, ‘go to court’ when you know that you can’t get justice. Democracy is dying in Africa, and to save it, it should be made in the context of Africa,” he added.
Obasanjo called for a redefinition of democracy that aligns with Africa’s cultural realities and historical governance systems.
“We should remember that in Africa, we had a form of government which attended to the needs of the people. That is democracy,” he added.
