{
  "id": 8150666,
  "title": "Obasanjo: Political Opposition as Enmity",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/obasanjo-political-opposition-as-enmity",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T01:48:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/18/obasanjo-political-opposition-as-enmity/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has recently become more vocal in his criticism of representative democracy, viewing it as an unsuitable system for Nigeria and Africa. In his book, Constitution for National Integration and Development, Obasanjo proposed a single-party or inclusive governing arrangement where key elected officials would automatically participate in the executive structure to reduce factionalism.\n\nObasanjo argues that representative democracy is a government of a few over the many, as elected representatives only speak for specific sections of the population, excluding the majority. He contends that this shift from direct citizen participation to representation inevitably leads to problems, and if democracy is defined as majority rule, the concerns of the minority become problematic. Additionally, Obasanjo asserts that there is no such thing as African democracy, claiming that Western liberal democracy was imposed on Africa by colonial masters and that the concept of a \"loyal opposition\" is rooted in the historical context of Britain's monarchy.\n\nHowever, this argument overlooks the fact that democracy encompasses various models, such as participatory democracy, which allows for more direct citizen involvement in political decisions and policy-making. Furthermore, the notion of a \"loyal opposition\" is not exclusive to monarchies, as evidenced by the founding of the United States on the repudiation of the British monarchy.\n\nObasanjo's critique is more accurately seen as a condemnation of colonialism rather than democracy itself. He argues that colonialism has highlighted the need for an autochthonous transformation of the state in Africa using endogenous knowledge. This perspective emphasizes the importance of addressing Nigeria's unique historical context, which was created through British colonial intervention and the subsequent division and distrust among its ethnic nationalities.",
  "summary": "Dialogue With Nigeria By AKIN OSUNTOKUN It is a measure of his enduring relevance that, next to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former President Olusegun Obasanjo arguably possesses the biggest political megaphone",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}