Obasanjo and Obi Call for Democratic Reform in Nigeria

On Tuesday, at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress for the 2027 election, criticized Nigeria's democratic system. Obasanjo, who chaired the event, called for an African model of democracy, arguing that the Western liberal democracy adopted by many African nations fails to reflect the continent's history and values.

He described the current system as a “winner-takes-all” model that fosters enmity among political opponents. Obasanjo emphasized the importance of Nigeria's diversity, warning against neglecting it, and expressed concern over the increasing influence of money in politics and the under-representation of women.

He noted that no woman has been elected governor since the Fourth Republic began over two decades ago. Obi echoed concerns about institutional decay, suggesting that the democratic model inherited from the West should be reassessed to better fit African contexts.