Former President Goodluck Jonathan has advocated for a fundamental re-examination of democratic practices across Africa, warning that a rigid adherence to Western liberal democracy without adapting to local realities contributes to the continent’s growing democratic recession.
He made the call at the closing of the 2026 GJF democracy dialogue on Tuesday in Bauchi, with the theme, “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save Africa’s Democracy?
While calling for re-examination of democracy in Africa, the former president observed that though a majority of the countries on the continent prefer democratic governance, widespread dissatisfaction persists.
This, he said, was due to the erosion of democratic principles, constitutional disregard, and political corruption.
“There is no universally accepted model of democracy because every nation has its own history and political realities.
“While there are universal democratic pillars, any deviation from these core principles means we are no longer practicing true democracy,” Jonathan said.
He said that a functional democracy must rest on eight cardinal pillars including sovereignty of the people, rule of law, and separation of powers.
Others include protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, accountability and transparency, free and credible elections, political pluralism, and an active civil society.
He cautioned that although no country could score perfectly on all the pillars, substantial compliance with most of them was necessary for democracy to remain stable and sustainable.
“When several of these foundations of democracy are weakened, what emerges is not genuine democracy but a pseudo-democracy; one that retains democratic forms while steadily losing democratic substance,” he said.
He called on political parties and the judiciary across Africa to strengthen democratic institutions and protect the will of the people.
Jonathan who is the Chairman of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) also warned that democracy could become a mere front if its foundational principles are weakened.
The former President said political parties must become genuine democratic institutions by embracing internal democracy, producing credible leaders, respecting their own rules and putting national interest above partisan interests.
“Strong democracies cannot emerge from weak political parties,” Jonathan said.
He called for stronger frameworks across Africa to regulate political parties and enhance democratic integrity.
While citing Kenya’s model of a dedicated institution to regulate political activities alongside the electoral management body, he said that other African countries could adopt similar arrangements to strengthen political accountability.
The former president urged the judiciary to protect democracy, adding that it carried “an equally or more profound responsibility” in that regard.
He urged judicial officers handling political cases to be guided by the principles represented by Lady Justice which are impartiality, fairness and the rule of law.
Jonathan expressed concern that in some African countries, electoral contests were increasingly being settled in courtrooms rather than at the ballot box.
“The courtroom should not become the arena where political mandates are routinely determined,” he warned.
Jonathan urged African leaders to consciously build their political parties, legislatures, executives and judiciaries around these democratic principles.
“History will judge our democracies not by the number of elections we conduct, but by the strength of the institutions we build and the fidelity with which we uphold these democratic pillars,” he said.
He called on African countries to move away from the cycle of political instability and electoral crises and build strong institutions capable of promoting peace, development and shared prosperity.
(NAN)
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