Obasanjo: There’s No Democracy in Africa, But the Forced Western Liberal Democracy
• Jonathan seeks debate on Africa’s democracy •Obi questions democracy practiced in Nigeria •Opposition, ruling parties now the same in Africa, Kenyan Professor Kanyinga, declares •LP chair says nation’s democracy
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo declared that there is no democracy on the African continent. Instead, he said, it is a mere "forced Western liberal democracy," which he claims has failed to deliver for Africans. Obasanjo spoke at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue 2026, an event held in Bauchi that brought together African leaders, jurists, scholars, and development partners to discuss governance, elections, and institution building.
The former president cautioned that the concentration of power in the presidency is adversely affecting governance and development across the continent. He also challenged African nations to rethink their democratic structures, warning that the ruling and opposition parties have become virtually indistinguishable, thus hollowing out the democratic process.
Kenyan Professor Kanyinga further argued that African democracy is being eroded from within, as ruling parties and opposition parties have become virtually indistinguishable. The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, urged Nigerian politicians to adopt the non-violent approach to politics, a hallmark of Goodluck Jonathan's leadership style.
Obasanjo emphasized that there is no African democracy, but rather a borrowed and forced liberal democracy that has been imposed by Western colonial masters. He argued that for democracy to work, it must deliver the dividends of democracy, including good governance, welfare, and equity for all citizens.
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