"Democracy in Africa has Failed Because it’s not African" -- Obasanjo
"Democracy in Africa has Failed Because it’s not African" -- Obasanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo emphasized that Africa needs a democracy tailored to its unique context, which prioritizes delivering benefits to all citizens.
Speaking at a colloquium in Abuja to celebrate former Imo Governor Emeka Ihedioha’s 60th birthday, Obasanjo stressed that the current form of democracy in Africa is failing, and in some cases, dying.
“Is democracy failing in Africa? Are we talking of democracy or western liberal democracy?
“Abraham Lincoln describes it as a government of the people, by the people and for the people. But what do we have today?
“The Greek democracy affects everyone, but democracy has now become representative democracy and it doesn’t taken care of everyone.
“Democracy in Africa has failed because it’s not African, it doesn’t have our culture and way of lives.
“Democracy is dying in Africa and to save it, it should be made in the context of Africa,” Obasanjo said.
Similarly, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Bishop Hassan Kukah, described democracy in Africa as a work in progress.
“We Africans inherited a system that’s not ours, but we can’t say its not relevant to us.
“There are differences between democracy in Asia and that of Africa. What do you make of the tenets of democracy in Africa?
Kukah noted that democracy was about equity and justice, adding that there must also be a mechanism for measuring the growth of democracy.
“The democratisation of development leads to the development of democracy. That is if you decide to equitably democratise development, and not take every institution, university, medical school whatever to your village and if all the roads are done
“If we do not have a mechanism by which we are measuring our growth, our chase for a democratic society becomes an empty chase.
“Democracy and its principle are endless contestation of ideas, opportunity and privileges. Those who are privileged want to hold on to their privileges and those who are victims want to insist that life can be better,” Kukah said.
