•Says we must change our stance
Former Nigeria President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Tuesday, declared that there is no democracy in Africa but borrowed and forced Liberal Democracy that has caged Africans.
Obasanjo made the declaration in his message at the 2026 edition of the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) Foundation Annual Democracy Dialogue with the theme: Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy? held at the Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre (ICC), Bauchi.
The former President who was chairman of the dialogue said that, “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 and political parties and the judiciary save African democracy. That is handy.”
He said: “But what are we talking about? 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.”
He said: “Before I got a copy of printed program last night, and before having a short encounter with Ann Iyonu, the Executive Director of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, I was a little bit confused. But my two or three minutes exchange with Ann substantially reduced the magnitude of my confusion.”
“Before I expose my confusion, I now thought it was clear, I hope clearer, will be cleared by the end of this day. Please, I thank former President Goodluck Jonathan once again for nominating me as the Chairman for this very important dialogue,” he added.
According to him: “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.”
The former President stressed, “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.”
He added: “Liberal Western democracy, which 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, hook, stock, and barrel. It has, deliver, 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.”
He asked, “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 favor 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?”
He stressed: “It’s like when the Prime Minister, Late Akintola was dealing with the mid-westerners 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?”