Africa must rethink its culture of winner-takes-all democracy — Obasanjo

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has sharply criticized the version of democracy practiced across much of Africa, asserting that it is a Western import that has cultivated a "winner-takes-all" political culture. Speaking at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi, Obasanjo contended that the Western liberal democracy inherited by many African nations was not designed for the continent's realities, likening its adoption to wearing an ill-fitting garment.

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The democracy we practice has no African context, no African content and if you try to use what is not meant for you to serve your purpose, it is like a dress for which you are not measured, you try to put it on, it is either too small for you or too big for you. It will not fit and it will not serve your purpose.

"The democracy we practice has no African context, no African content," Obasanjo stated, as reported by Channels TV. He elaborated on the "winner takes all" approach, where a narrow victory means the winner claims everything, disregarding the contributions or positions of those who lost. This model, he explained, creates a political environment where election winners often marginalize or disregard the defeated.

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In practice, we have winner takes all, first path post. If you beat me by one vote then you take it all and whatever I have does not matter.

Obasanjo further drew a parallel between Western democracy's concept of a "loyal opposition" and African contexts, where the word "opposition" often translates to "enemy." He argued that this perception leads to a destructive approach where the "enemy" is crushed rather than engaged with constructively. The former president also lamented the poor management of diversity, emphasizing its crucial role in African societies and the need for deliberate protection and nurturing.

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The Western liberal democracy that we inherited pulls from monarchy, hence we can have government and loyal opposition, loyal to the monarchy. But when you talk about loyal opposition in an African setting and I have gone into many of African languages, opposition means enemy, that is the word. Then do you have a loyal enemy? So, what do you do with your enemy? You crush him and destroy him and that is what we have.

Additionally, Obasanjo decried the escalating influence of money and inducements in politics. While acknowledging that poverty and illiteracy hinder democratic processes, he specifically criticized the persistent gender imbalance in Nigerian politics since the Fourth Republic began, noting the absence of female governors for over 24 years and questioning the character of many elected officials. He stressed that Nigeria's strength lies in its diversity, which must be preserved and cultivated.

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Nigeria is what it is because of our diversity. Remove diversity out of Nigeria you will probably have Republic of Oduduwa, that will not be Nigeria or Republic of Danfodio, that will not be Nigeria. That diversity must be nourished and be taken care of.