•Ours is government of the elites, by the elites, for the elites
Last week, former President Olusegun Obasanjo lamented that western democracy was imposed on us and we have continued with it even when it is not working for us. In his keynote address at a high-level consultation on “Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy for Africa” in Abeokuta, he noted that western liberal democracy will never work as a system of government in Africa because it does not consider the views of the majority of the people.
He therefore called for alternative system of government and suggested “we look inward and outward to see what in our country, culture, tradition, practice and living over the years that we can learn from, adopt and adapt with methods everywhere for a changed system of government that will serve our purpose better and deliver”.
Nigerians have however reacted to President Obasanjo’s submissions. In their reactions, activists, lawyers and other stakeholders agreed with Obasanjo that democracy has failed in the country but blamed him and other Nigerian elites for not allowing democracy to work in Nigeria. According to them, what is being practiced in Nigeria is corrupted version of democracy as the Nigerian elites undermine democratic principles.
Vanguard
