Olusegun Ariyo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday declared that democracy has failed and is dying in Africa.
Obasanjo said to salvage the situation, democracy must be addressed in the context and content of Africa.
Speaking at the 60th birthday colloquium of former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, the former president argued that it is not just failing but dying due to its disconnect from the continent’s values and realities.
He lamented that the judiciary has failed to salvage the situation.
According to Obasanjo, the African governance system has become one where leaders “grab everything illegally and corruptly” while telling the people to “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 the 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 context 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.”
