Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo has stated that Africa made a mistake in the adoption of western democracy as a form of government.
The former President posited that the Western liberal democracy is not consistent with the African value system.
Obasanjo expressed this opinion on Monday when members of the House of Representatives championing the reintroduction of the parliamentary system of government in the country, paid him a visit in Abuja.
The lawmakers, under the aegis of the “Parliamentary Group” was led by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers). The meeting took place at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre in the Federal Capital, Abuja.
Addressing the lawmakers, Obasanjo said, “Let me go back to the beginning where we got it wrong. The western liberal democracy, that is what the Europeans have. When you look at the western liberal democracy, it is a product of their history. A product of their culture, a product of their way of life.
“I have looked into most African languages; western democracy has what they call loyal opposition. What is opposition in African languages? Enemy. Western democracies called oppositions “loyal” because the oppositions are loyal to the monarchy. That’s where their loyal democracy began. They used to have monarchies.
“There is nothing in the liberal democracy that is African. We ruled ourselves before the advent of colonialism and we had empires and striving kingdoms. We did not rule ourselves as opposition.
“What is in it for us? I don’t know but you can give it. For lack of an appropriate word, let us call it ‘afro-democracy.’ That is where we have to begin,” the former President said.
Responding to the group’s proposal, Obasanjo said the legislators are preaching to a convert. He stated that he agreed that there is a need for a fundamental shift from the current system.
He, however, warned the lawmakers that they need to have a long-term plan and be tactical in presenting a position.
Obasanjo, therefore, counselled them to drop the tag “parliamentary system”. He urged them to instead push for a homegrown democracy.
He said, “You are preaching to the converted but as I have said, take parliamentary away.
“We need to get the critical masses. Parliamentary and all that—once you start that, you have gotten it wrong. Once you do that, you are putting yourself in a fix because there are those who would say “We don’t want parliamentary,” he cautioned.