Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president, expressed alarm about the health of democracy in Africa, claiming that it is not only failing but also dying as a result of its disconnection from the ideals and realities of the continent.
Obasanjo bemoaned the fact that African leaders now “grab everything illegally and corruptly” and advise the populace to “go to court,” even though he is aware that justice is still elusive, while speaking at the 60th birthday colloquium of former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Emeka Ihedioha in Abuja.
The former president advocated for a system based on African traditions rather than a faulty adaptation of Western liberal democracy, emphasizing that true democracy should benefit everyone, not just a select few.
“If democracy in Africa is failing, then democracy in Africa has failed. And why didn’t it work? Because it is not Africa in both context and content. It has nothing to do with our culture, our way of life, our values, or our beliefs,” he said.
He also questioned the African notion of democracy, pointing out that African nations had their own efficient systems of government prior to colonial domination.
“Are we talking about democracy or Western liberal democracy?” asked Obasanjo. When discussing democracy, it is important to keep in mind that, prior to colonial authority and power, Africa had a system of governance that catered to the requirements of its citizens. And democracy is what it is to me, regardless of what you call it. For what is democracy? It is government of the people, by the people, for the people, according to American President Abraham Lincoln.
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“Democracy should be a form of governance that serves all citizens, not just a select few or a portion of the population. What do we have now, though? I feel because we’ve gone past the Greek democracy which brought everybody to the square and everybody had a vote in the decision-making which touched everybody, democracy has now become representative democracy and representative democracy has not taken care of everybody.”
Obasanjo bemoaned the fact that the current democratic system denies the common people access to justice while enabling politicians to enrich themselves through corruption.
We have democracy now, which is a small-group government run by a small group of individuals over a big number of people who are denied the necessities of existence. That is not a sustainable democracy.
“I am because I am able to grab.” What kind of democracy does it bring you to seize everything, then act corruptly and criminally before claiming to be going to court? when you are aware that justice is unattainable, even in court.
Democracy is not failing; rather, it is dying, and if we want to prevent its demise, we must examine democracy within the African context and its contents. He said, “I hope we will reach that point so that democracy that delivers will be the democracy that we have in Africa.”
