In a recent statement, the Presidency laid blame on former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the current state of Nigeria’s democracy. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, spoke to Findwhosabi , attributing the roots of the country’s democratic system to direct inputs by Obasanjo during his time as the military Head of State from 1976 to 1979 and as the civilian President from 1999 to 2007.
Onanuga emphasized that Obasanjo, who played a significant role in adopting the democratic system in 1979, now seems to criticize it after leaving office. He pointed out that Obasanjo’s post-presidential stance appears to reflect a newfound wisdom.
The response from the Presidency came in the wake of comments made by Obasanjo during a high-level consultation on Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta. Obasanjo criticized Western democracy, asserting that it has not delivered good governance and development in Africa. He called for a reexamination and moderation of democracy to better suit African nations, proposing an “Afro democracy” tailored to the continent’s unique needs.
Obasanjo argued that the weakness and failure of the Western liberal democracy model stem from its history, content, and context, suggesting that African countries should have a say in defining and designing their systems of government.
However, the Presidency criticized Obasanjo for poorly implementing the democratic model during his tenure as Head of State and President. Onanuga accused Obasanjo of not advocating for a better system despite his current views, suggesting that if he truly believed in his current stance, he should be an advocate for returning to the parliamentary system.
Onanuga highlighted that Nigeria was originally practicing the parliamentary democracy left by the British before the military intervened in 1966. Instead of reverting to the previous system, Obasanjo accepted the recommendation of the constitutional assembly to adopt the American-style democracy, which, according to the Presidency, he implemented incorrectly.
The Presidency also criticized Obasanjo’s handling of the presidential system, stating that he copied the form and structure but failed to capture its essence. Onanuga further remarked that during Obasanjo’s tenure from 1999 to 2007, attempts were made to modify the constitution, suggesting a lack of adherence to the spirit of the presidential system.