‘We’re Caged’ — Obasanjo Raises Fresh Alarm Over Democracy in Africa

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has voiced concerns about the condition of democracy in Nigeria and across the African continent.

Obasanjo argued that the democratic system practised in Africa was imported and had left Africans trapped.

He spoke while participating as a panellist at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue held in Bauchi State.

According to Obasanjo: “There is no democracy in Africa, but borrowed and forced liberal democracy that has caged Africans.

“Is there African democracy? Let us not deceive ourselves. There’s nothing like African democracy. We were given Western liberal democracy by our colonial masters.

“For quite some time, I have been increasingly worried about the performance of democracy in Africa, and indeed, in other regions of the world.

“And I believe that the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation was also worried about it, and that was why your theme last year was talking about the death of democracy, or words to that effect.

“Let me emphasise that we are referring to Western liberal democracy because the Chinese will not agree with you that their own democracy is dying. And maybe the Swiss, who have practised some form of direct democracy, may also not agree with you that their democracy is dying.

“Liberal Western democracy is practised in Europe, the Americas, substantial parts of Southeast Asia, and Australia, and, of course, here on the continent of Africa.”

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