Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that Nigeria cannot practice Western liberal democracy effectively because it is unsuitable for the Nation and other African countries.
Obasanjo also noted that the Western democracy which is being practised in Nigeria and other African countries should be re-examined or moderated.
The former president said this at the high-level consultation on Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa held at the Green Resort Legacy, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta in Ogun.
He said his call for the re-examination of the democracy practised in this part of the world is because he wants good governance and progressive development for Nigeria and Africa in general.
Obasanjo, therefore, advocated for what he termed “Afro democracy” in place of Western liberal democracy.
According to him, Afro-democracy will be invented by the people, not imposed on the people by Westerners, because African countries should have no business operating a system of government in which they have no hands in its “definition and design.”
The former president further stated that the essence of any system of government is the welfare and well-being of the people, so the blueprint through which they are governed must emanate from them and must also be in line with their needs.
He, therefore, called on Nigerian leaders and other African leaders to think outside the box and also critically examine the practice of liberal democracy in order to identify its shortcomings and replace it with ideas that resonate more with the people.
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