Obasanjo, Jonathan, Mahama Warn: Democracy At Risk In Africa

By FIDELUS ZWANSON

FORMER Nigerian presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, alongside Ghana’s ex-president John Dramani Mahama, have raised alarm over the future of democracy in Africa, warning it could collapse without urgent reforms.

Speaking at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation’s Democracy Dialogue in Accra, Obasanjo argued that democracy is being “destroyed from within” and must be redefined beyond “government of the majority” to ensure inclusivity. “If democracy is not reformed in context, content, and practice, it will die and be buried,” he said.

Jonathan pointed to electoral manipulation as one of Africa’s greatest threats, stressing that proper elections would allow citizens to vote out non-performing leaders. “Our people want their votes to count, security, jobs, healthcare, dignity—and when democracy fails to deliver, people lose faith,” he warned.

Mahama called for stronger institutions, accountability, and protection of press freedom, noting that corruption and misgovernance have eroded public trust. “Democracy will not survive if we don’t work for it,” he said.

The leaders agreed that without reforms to make governance more inclusive, accountable, and people-centered, democracy on the continent faces an existential threat.