By Francis Ajuonuma
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has challenged the suitability of Western liberal democracy for Africa, arguing that the system inherited by many countries on the continent has failed to accommodate their history, culture, diversity and political realities.
Obasanjo said the model had produced a winner-takes-all political culture in which those who lose elections are frequently treated as enemies rather than legitimate participants in the democratic process.
The former President spoke on Tuesday at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi, where political leaders, constitutional experts and civil society representatives examined the challenges confronting democracy in Africa.
He argued that the concept of a loyal opposition, which is associated with Western democratic traditions, becomes problematic in many African societies where opposition is often interpreted as hostility.
“The democracy we practice has no African context, no African content,” Obasanjo declared.
He likened Africa’s adoption of the Western model to wearing a garment that was not tailored to fit, arguing that a political system designed for a different historical and cultural environment could not automatically deliver effective governance in Africa.
According to him, the electoral system further compounds the problem by allowing a candidate who secures even a narrow majority to take virtually all political power, regardless of the strength of the opposing vote.
“In practice, we have winner takes all, first past the post. If you beat me by one vote, then you take it all and whatever I have does not matter,” he said.
Obasanjo warned that such an arrangement could deepen political exclusion and hostility, particularly in societies where ethnic, regional and cultural identities play significant roles in public affairs.
He said Nigeria’s diversity must instead be recognised as an essential component of its national identity and deliberately protected through its political arrangements.
“Nigeria is what it is because of our diversity,” he said, warning that undermining that diversity would amount to undermining the foundation of the Nigerian state.
The former President also expressed concern over the increasing influence of money and inducements in Nigerian politics, saying the trend had grown rapidly.
He linked the weakness of democratic culture partly to poverty and illiteracy but also criticised the continued marginalisation of women in political leadership.
Obasanjo noted that Nigeria had not elected a female governor throughout the more than 24 years of the Fourth Republic, while questioning the quality of character and values displayed by some of those elected into public office.
He said the solution was not simply to reproduce foreign political institutions but to develop a democratic framework capable of responding to Africa’s peculiar circumstances.
“Call it what you like, just make sure it has history, culture and values that are African,” Obasanjo said.
*Obi decries electoral malpractice, judicial decline, says Nigeria faces democratic crisis
Also speaking at the dialogue, the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, warned that the weakening of Nigeria’s electoral and judicial institutions had pushed the country into what he described as a democratic crisis.
The former Anambra State governor recalled his legal battle over the governorship election in the state, saying he spent three years challenging the outcome and received favourable judgments from judges he had never previously met.
Obi said the judicial independence he experienced during that period would be difficult to reproduce under the current political environment.
He expressed concern over what he described as the increasing normalisation of electoral malpractice, questionable legal practices and institutional compromise.
“I was in court for three years challenging my election; five judges that I never met for one day gave judgement in my favour. It cannot happen in Nigeria of today,” he said.
Obi criticised what he described as the involvement of professionals and institutions in practices capable of undermining the credibility of elections and the rule of law.
He cited allegations of electoral manipulation, the handling of forgery-related matters and the conduct of some political and religious actors as indications of a broader institutional problem.
“We have a crisis. And above all, our judges are now singing on your mandate,” Obi said.
The NDC candidate urged Nigerians to pay greater attention to the direction of the country’s democratic institutions and resist practices that gradually become accepted despite undermining democratic values.
He warned that allowing such abuses to continue would impose their consequences on future generations.
“We need to reverse this because the abuse we are allowing today will take its revenge on our children,” Obi said.
The dialogue was held under the theme, “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?”
The event was chaired by Obasanjo and attended by former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Namadi Sambo.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed hosted the gathering, which also attracted constitutional experts and civil society voices from across Africa.
The discussions placed the future of African democracy under scrutiny, with Obasanjo focusing on the need to redesign democratic practice around African realities, while Obi drew attention to the erosion of the institutions expected to protect Nigeria’s electoral and constitutional order.
