The Presidency has knocked former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his comment on the type of democracy practised in Nigeria, blaming him for laying the foundation for Nigeria’s problems, News About Nigeria reports.
The former president was tackled by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, for saying that the Western style of democracy is not suitable for Africa.
Recall that the ex-president had on Monday, at the high-level consultation on Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa held at Green Resort Legacy, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, criticized western democracy, stating that it has not delivered on good governance and progressive development for the continent.
Obasanjo also noted that the Western style of democracy failed in Africa because it did not take into account the views of the majority of the people, adding that it was a government of a few people over all the people or population.
He, therefore, advocated for a reexamination of democracy to better suit African nations.
This, however, did not go down well with the presidency, as Onanuga blamed the former President for the current state of democracy in the country.
According to him, the democracy currently practised in Nigeria is a direct input by Obasanjo when he led the country first as military Head of State from 1976 – 1979 and then as civilian President from 1999 – 2007.
He lamented the fact that the pioneer of democracy in Nigeria now questioned the rightness of its invention, its ability to deliver, and its relevance today without proposing any form of reform, maintaining that the essence of any system of government is the welfare and well-being of the people, all the people.
