Former President Olusegun Obasanjo declared on Monday that democracy in Africa is not only failing but dying.
Speaking at the 60th birthday colloquium of former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, Obasanjo emphasized the need to redefine democracy within Africa’s unique context and realities. He attributed its decline to a growing disconnect from the continent’s values and governance challenges.
The former president lamented the judiciary’s inability to address the crisis, stating that Africa’s leadership has devolved into a system where those in power “illegally and corruptly seize everything” while dismissing the people with the refrain, “go to court.”
He said: “If you are talking about democracy failing in Africa, democracy in Africa has failed. And why has it failed?
“Because in context and in content, it is not Africa. It does not have any aspect of our culture, our way of life, what we stand for, what we believe.
“Today, we have democracy, which is government of a small number of people, by a small number of people over a large number of people who are deprived of what they need to have in life. That is not democracy that will endure.
“It is, I am because I can grab. What sort of democracy brings you and you grab everything and then illegally, corruptly and you say go to court. When you know that even in the court, you cannot get justice.
“It’s not that democracy is failing, democracy is dying and if we are going to make democracy not to die, we have to look at democracy in the context and in the content of Africa. I hope that we will get to that stage so that democracy which will deliver will be the democracy that we will have in Africa.”
