Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that democracy in Africa is failing because it does not reflect the continent’s culture.
Similarly, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, said Nigeria’s democracy has completely collapsed due to what he called the actions of the country’s current leaders.
Both leaders spoke yesterday in Abuja at the 60th birthday celebration and colloquium of former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and ex-Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha. The event, chaired by Obasanjo, was attended by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku, former Sokoto State Governor Senator Aminu Tambuwal, and immediate past Governor of Katsina, Hon. Aminu Masari, among other dignitaries.
Obasanjo, who has been advocating for an Afrocentric democracy, criticised the current system, describing it as one that allows people to grab everything illegally, corruptly, and tell others to go to court when justice is unattainable.
The former president said, “When we talk about democracy, we should remember that in Africa, before colonial rule, we had a form of government that attended to the needs of our people. And whatever you call it, to me, it is democracy. Because what is democracy about? The American president, Abraham Lincoln, defined it as the government of the people, by the people, for the people.
“Democracy is meant to be a system of government that delivers for all the people, not just a section or a few. But what do we have today? I believe since we have moved past Greek democracy—where everyone participated directly in decision-making—democracy has now become representative democracy. And representative democracy has not taken care of everybody.
“Today, democracy has become government by a small number of people over a large number who are deprived of what they need in life. That is not democracy that will endure.”
“So, if we are talking about democracy failing in Africa, then democracy in Africa has failed. And why? Because in both context and content, it is not African. It does not reflect our culture, our way of life, what we stand for, or what we believe. Ubuntu says, ‘I am because we are,’ but what we practise now is, ‘I am because I can grab.’
“What kind of democracy allows people to take everything illegally and corruptly, and then tell others to go to court—when they know justice cannot be obtained there?
“Democracy is not just failing; it is dying. If we are to save it, we must develop democracy in a way that aligns with Africa’s realities. I hope we reach that stage so that the democracy we practise in Africa will truly deliver,” Obasanjo said.
On his part, Obi lamented that the efforts made since the return of democratic rule in 1999 had now been undone.
“They started in 1999 and laid the foundation. Some tried to build on it, but others have knocked everything down. That is where we are now—nothing works,” he said.
Recalling his political journey, Obi said he became Anambra governor through the courts without bribing anyone, noting that Obasanjo and then-Vice President Atiku Abubakar were in power when he was declared the rightful winner.
“That cannot happen in Nigeria today. When I was impeached, President Obasanjo sent people to intervene. Ken Nnamani pleaded with the House not to remove me. Today, the president instigates impeachment,” he said.
He recounted how late President Umaru Yar’Adua personally called him in London after his reinstatement by the courts, urging him to return.
“I told him I couldn’t come back immediately, but he insisted. When I arrived, for the first time, military personnel received me at the airport and took me straight to him. Today, the president would ask someone like that never to return. So, democracy has failed and collapsed,” Obi said.
He called for efforts to rebuild the country’s democracy.
On his part, Ihedioha urged Nigerians to stand up in defense of the National Assembly, emphasizing its crucial role in sustaining the country’s democracy.
“We must do everything we can, without fear or favour, and by speaking truth to power, to sustain and protect this institution and democracy,” he said.
Former Sokoto State governor, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, also used the occasion to reiterate his claim that the Senate did not meet the constitutional requirement of a two-thirds majority when approving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. Daily Trust reports that their views align with those recently expressed by other leaders, including Atiku, who warned that Nigeria risks losing its hard-fought democracy if it continues on the current trajectory.
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai echoed Atiku’s concerns, describing the state of the opposition, as well as the style and quality of governance, as a national emergency. He stressed the need for opposition parties to unite and form a broad platform to protect democracy.
Last week, opposition leaders, led by Atiku, announced the formation of a coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027, accusing him of overseeing the collapse of democracy in the country.
