Pulse Nigeria is the most followed news and entertainment platform, informing and engaging young Nigerians round the clock, providing updates by the hour.

Pulse Nigeria

The Presidency said if Obasanjo believes in what he said, he should be calling for the return of the parliamentary system and not Afro democracy.

You brought us here - Presidency tackles Obasanjo over comment on Nigeria’s democracy | Pulse Nigeria

Bayo Wahab

<h2>The Presidency has reacted to the comment by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the current state of Nigeria’s democracy.&nbsp;</h2>

While speaking at a high-level consultation on “Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy for Africa” on Monday, November 20, 2023, Obasanjo said the Western style of democracy failed in Africa because it did not take into consideration the views of the majority of the people.

He described the Western liberal democracy as a “government of a few people over all the people or population”, adding that African countries should not be operating a system of government in which they have no hands in its definition and design.

“We have a system of government in which we have no hands to define and design and we continue with it, even when we know that it is not working for us.

“Those who brought it to us are now questioning the rightness of their invention, its deliverability and its relevance today without reform,” the ex-president stated.

Obasanjo, therefore, <a data-link-role-code="open_new_tab" href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/western-democracy-not-effective-try-afro-democracy-obasanjo/l4sc1s9">proposed an “Afro democracy</a>” tailored to the unique needs of the African continent.

Reacting to Obasanjo’s submission, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy in an interview with ThePunch said the former President introduced the democracy Nigeria currently practises to the country.

“Obasanjo ought to know that he brought this thing into Nigeria. He was the one who made us adopt it in 1979. He must have seen it as expensive and unsuitable when he governed us for eight years and even wanted an extension for another four years.

“So, the way he is sounding, it is like the man is getting wiser after leaving office, Onanuga remarked.

Onanuga said if Obasanjo believes in what he said, he should be calling for the return of the parliamentary system Nigeria practised after its independence instead of advocating for ‘Afro democracy.’

“If he believes in what he is saying now, he ought to be an advocate of the need to go back to the parliamentary system.”

“We were practising the parliamentary democracy the British left for us. Then, the military struck in 1966. And when we were going to return to democracy, instead of going back to what we were practising before, parliamentary democracy, which was not expensive, it was this same Obasanjo who accepted the recommendation of the constitutional assembly at that time that recommended this American-style democracy.”

“Something that should have been under him from 1999 to 2007, he even made attempts to modify the constitution.”

You brought us here - Presidency tackles Obasanjo over comment on Nigeria’s democracy

Pulse Picks

Business

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Politics

Local

Metro

World

News 

Celebrities

Music

Movies

Fashion

Beauty & Health

Relationships & Weddings

Food & Travel

Domestic

International 

Sports 

Celebrity Picks

Pulse Marketing

Explore categories

Influencer Awards

Company Pages

Breaking News & Top Stories | Pulse Nigeria

Video

Checkout our authors for the latest content across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Nigeria 

Authors | Pulse Nigeria

| Pulse Nigeria

Read the latest news across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Nigeria

Search for the latest content across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Nigeria

Search Results | Pulse Nigeria

Watch the latest videos across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Nigeria