Africa needs a democracy that works for everyone- Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo believes Africa needs a unique form of democracy, tailored to its specific needs and delivering benefits to all its people.

Former President Obasanjo made these remarks on Monday in Abuja during a colloquium celebrating the 60th birthday of former Imo Governor Emeka Ihedioha.

He emphasized that for democracy to thrive on the continent, it must serve all citizens rather than just a select few.

He pointed out that the Greek model of democracy allowed for the direct participation of all citizens in governance, whereas the current representative system often fails to address the needs of everyone.

Obasanjo also noted that prior to colonial rule, Africa had its own form of democracy that effectively catered to the needs of its people.

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Is democracy failing in Africa?

He expressed concern that democracy in Africa is increasingly becoming a system where a small group governs over a large population.

Is democracy failing in Africa? Are we talking of democracy or Western liberal democracy?

Mr Obasanjo said,

Abraham Lincoln describes it as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. But what do we have today?

The Greek democracy affects everyone, but democracy has now become representative democracy and it doesn’t take care of everyone.

Democracy in Africa has failed because it’s not African, it doesn’t have our culture and way of life.

Democracy is dying in Africa and to save it, it should be made in the context of Africa.

Echoing this sentiment, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Bishop Hassan Kukah, described democracy in Africa as an ongoing process of development.

We Africans inherited a system that’s not ours, but we can’t say it’s not relevant to us.

There are differences between democracy in Asia and that of Africa. What do you make of the tenets of democracy in Africa?

Bishop Hassan Kukah talks on Democracy

Bishop Kukah highlighted that democracy is fundamentally about fairness and justice, emphasizing the need for a system to measure its progress and ensure its effectiveness.

Mr Kukah said,

The democratization of development leads to the development of democracy. That is if you decide to equitably democratize development, and not take every institution, university, medical school whatever to your village and if all the roads are done

If we do not have a mechanism by which we are measuring our growth, our chase for a democratic society becomes an empty chase.

Democracy and its principles are endless contestation of ideas, opportunities, and privileges. Those who are privileged want to hold on to their privileges and those who are victims want to insist that life can be better.

Peter Obi talks on Democracy

In a similar context, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election, urged Nigeria to adopt the Indonesian model of democracy, which features a proportional representation system of governance.

Additionally, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, stated that Nigeria could overcome the crises hindering its development by establishing stable democratic governance.

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Mr. Anyaoku emphasized that both Africa and Nigeria specifically have a duty to cultivate a stable democracy and reshape the Eurocentric narrative.

He said,

True federalism is the answer to the management of national issues. The recent coup in Mali, Niger tends to take us back.

The nature of our politics and the conduct of our politicians is another problem of our democracy. They have become instruments for capturing political power.

Mr. Ihedioha speech

In his speech, Mr. Ihedioha expressed gratitude to the guests for celebrating his 60th birthday.

He implored Nigerians to remain vigilant in safeguarding the country’s democracy.