Obasanjo asserts that democracy has proven unsuccessful in Africa.

ABEOKUTA—Former President Olusegun Obasanjo declared yesterday that Western Liberal Democracy has proven ineffective in Africa due to its imposition on the continent. Delivering a keynote address at a high-level consultation on ‘Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy for Africa’ in Abeokuta, Ogun State, he argued that this form of governance fails in Africa as it neglects the perspectives of the majority.

Obasanjo characterized Western Liberal Democracy as a “government of a few people over all the people or population,” where the chosen representatives do not fully represent the entire populace, leaving the majority excluded.

Advocating for an “Afro democracy” as an alternative, he asserted that African nations should not adhere to a system of government without actively participating in its definition and design.

In his words, “The weakness and failure of liberal democracy as it is practiced stem from its history, content, and context. Once you move from ‘all the people’ to a representative of the people, troubles and problems arise.”

Obasanjo questioned the exclusion of minorities in a majority-rule system and urged a critical examination of Western democracy’s performance in its place of origin and among African nations as inheritors of colonial legacies.

Calling for a departure from the current system, he emphasized the need to look inward and outward to identify elements within the country’s culture, tradition, and practices that could be adapted for a more effective system of governance.

“We are here to think as leaders of thought in the academia and leaders of thought with some experience in politics,” Obasanjo stated, inviting participants to critically assess the flaws in liberal democracy and propose ideas and recommendations for a more suitable governance model in Africa.