Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for a rethink of the democratic model practised across Africa, arguing that the Western liberal system adopted by many African countries does not adequately reflect the continent’s history, culture and social realities.
Obasanjo said the system had contributed to a winner-takes-all political culture in which election victories often leave little room for meaningful participation by those on the losing side.
He spoke on Tuesday at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi, the Bauchi State capital.
According to the former President, Western liberal democracy was inherited by African countries without sufficient adaptation to local realities.
“The democracy we practice has no African context, no African content and if you try to use what is not meant for you to serve your purpose, it is like a dress for which you are not measured, you try to put it on, it is either too small for you or too big for you. It will not fit and it will not serve your purpose,” Obasanjo said.
He argued that the system’s concept of opposition had also become problematic in many African societies, where political opponents are often viewed as enemies rather than alternative voices within the same democratic system.
“The Western liberal democracy that we inherited pulls from monarchy, hence we can have government and loyal opposition, loyal to the monarchy. But when you talk about loyal opposition in an African setting and I have gone into many of African languages, opposition means enemy, that is the word,” he said.
Obasanjo said this mindset had helped entrench a system in which political winners seek to dominate their opponents.
“In practice, we have winner takes all, first path post. If you beat me by one vote then you take it all and whatever I have does not matter,” he said.
The former President also warned against poor management of diversity, particularly in Nigeria, arguing that the country’s strength was rooted in its diverse communities and identities.
“Nigeria is what it is because of our diversity. Remove diversity out of Nigeria you will probably have Republic of Oduduwa, that will not be Nigeria or Republic of Danfodio, that will not be Nigeria. That diversity must be nourished and be taken care of,” he said.
Obasanjo also raised concerns over the growing influence of money and other forms of inducement in politics, saying the trend had increased “by leaps and bounds.”
While acknowledging that widespread poverty and illiteracy posed challenges to democratic development, he criticised the limited representation of women in Nigerian politics.
He noted that Nigeria had not elected a female governor throughout more than 24 years of the Fourth Republic, despite concerns over the character and values of some elected officials.
“In Nigeria, you call this one fourth republic, we have not elected a female governor in more than 24 years. And yet the people we are electing, most of them lack character, the lack attributes and values that can endure and can uplift,” Obasanjo said.
The former President said Nigeria and other African countries should develop democratic systems that draw from their own histories, cultures and values rather than simply reproducing institutions inherited from Western countries.
He stressed that democracy should be viewed as an evolving process rather than a fixed destination.
Obasanjo also noted that countries from which African nations adopted Western liberal democracy were themselves reassessing aspects of their political systems.
“Call it what you like, just make sure it has history, culture and values that are African. You can call it democracy if you like, you can call it African democracy. In that case it will be African with African context and African content,” he said.
The dialogue was chaired by Obasanjo and attended by former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and former Vice President Namadi Sambo.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed hosted the event, which also brought together constitutional experts and civil society representatives from across Africa.
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