Obasanjo  declares democracy a failure in Africa, cites lack of cultural foundation

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that democracy has failed in Africa, arguing that the system has not delivered meaningful progress for the continent’s people.

He made this assertion on Monday in Abuja during the 60th birthday colloquium of former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha.

Obasanjo attributed the failure of democracy in Africa to its foreign origins, insisting that it lacks the cultural and traditional foundations necessary for effective governance on the continent.

According to him, democracy, as practiced in Africa today, does not align with the values, traditions, and governance systems that existed before colonial rule.

“If you are talking about democracy failing in Africa, democracy in Africa has failed. And why has it failed? Because in 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,” he stated.

The former president questioned whether Africa was practicing true democracy or merely adopting Western liberal democracy.

He pointed out that before colonial rule, African societies had governance structures that effectively addressed the needs of their people, emphasizing that governance systems rooted in Africa’s traditions were more aligned with the people’s expectations.

“Whatever you call it, to me, it is democracy,” he said, referencing former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln’s definition of democracy as “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

READ ALSO: Obasanjo, Atiku, Anyaoku attend Ihedioha’s 60th birthday colloquium in Abuja

Obasanjo further elaborated that democracy should be a system that benefits all citizens rather than an elite few.

Advertisement

He noted that while ancient Greek democracy allowed direct participation in decision-making, modern representative democracy has often failed to serve the interests of the majority.

“Democracy is meant to be a system of government that delivers to all the people, not just a section of the people, not just a few. But what do we have today? Representative democracy has not taken care of everybody,” he lamented.

The former Nigerian leader also criticized the current political structure in Africa, accusing it of enabling leaders to exploit power for personal gain while dismissing citizens’ concerns.

He decried the prevailing culture of impunity, where leaders manipulate democratic structures for their benefit while leaving the people powerless.

“The system today allows leaders to grab everything illegally and corruptly and then tell the people to ‘go to court,’” he said, highlighting how justice is often inaccessible to the common citizen.

Obasanjo’s remarks have sparked fresh debate on the effectiveness of democracy in Africa, with analysts questioning whether the continent needs a governance model tailored to its unique socio-political realities rather than a wholesale adoption of Western democratic principles.