Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed deep concern over the state of democracy in Nigeria and across Africa, describing the system practised on the continent as a borrowed and forced Western liberal model that has “caged” Africans.
Obasanjo made the remarks while speaking as a panellist at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue 2026 in Bauchi State.According to him, there is no genuine African democracy.
“There is no democracy in Africa, but borrowed and forced liberal democracy that has caged Africans.“Is there African democracy? Let us not deceive ourselves. There’s nothing like African democracy. We were given Western liberal democracy by our colonial masters.“
"For quite some time, I have been increasingly worried about the performance of democracy in Africa, and indeed, in other regions of the world.
“And I believe that the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation was also worried about it, and that was why your theme last year was talking about the death of democracy, or words to that effect.
“Let me emphasise that we are referring to Western liberal democracy because the Chinese will not agree with you that their own democracy is dying. And maybe the Swiss, who have practised some form of direct democracy, may also not agree with you that their democracy is dying.“
Liberal Western democracy is practised in Europe, the Americas, substantial parts of Southeast Asia, and Australia, and, of course, here on the continent of Africa.”
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