Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that democracy is on the path to death in Africa.
Obasanjo remarked this at a colloquium held at the Abuja Intercontinental Hotel to mark the 60th birthday celebration of former Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha.
The former President who chaired the occasion said democracy as it’s being currently practised in the continent is mere representative democracy, which he said served no general interest.
He suggested a democracy that is designed to accommodate African values and cultures has a way of government that would save the continent.
“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. Democracy has now become representative democracy and it hasn’t taken care of everyone.
“Democracy in Africa has failed because it’s not African, it didn’t have our culture and way of lives. You will say, ‘go to court’ when you know that you can’t get justice. Democracy is dying in Africa and to save it, it should be made in the context of Africa,” Obasanjo said.
In attendance at the event were former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi; former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; and the immediate past Governor of Katsina, Aminu Masari.
