Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, on Tuesday criticised Nigeria’s democratic system and institutions, with Obasanjo calling for an African model of democracy and Obi alleging widespread institutional decay.

They spoke at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi, the Bauchi State capital.

The dialogue, organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, was themed, “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?”

Obasanjo, who chaired the event, said the Western liberal democracy adopted by many African countries had failed to reflect the continent’s history, culture and values.

He described the system as a “winner-takes-all” model that had encouraged political opponents to see one another as enemies rather than partners in governance.

“The democracy we practise 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,” he said.

According to him, the first-past-the-post system had created a situation where winning an election by a single vote could give the victor total control.

“In practice, we have winner takes all, first past the post. If you beat me by one vote, then you take it all and whatever I have does not matter,” the former President said.

Obasanjo said the concept of a “loyal opposition” inherited from Western political systems was difficult to sustain in the African context because opposition was often interpreted as enmity.

“So, what do you do with your enemy? You crush him and destroy him, and that is what we have,” he said.

The former President also warned against neglecting Nigeria’s diversity, saying it was fundamental to the country’s identity.

“Nigeria is what it is because of our diversity. Remove diversity out of Nigeria, you will probably have the Republic of Oduduwa; that will not be Nigeria. Or the Republic of Danfodio; that will not be Nigeria. That diversity must be nourished and be taken care of,” he said.

He also expressed concern over the increasing influence of money and inducements in politics, saying they had risen “by leaps and bounds.”

Obasanjo further lamented the under-representation of women in Nigerian politics, noting that no woman had been elected governor since the beginning of the Fourth Republic more than two decades ago.

He argued that African countries should not be afraid to review the democratic model they inherited from the West, noting that even Western countries were reassessing aspects of their political systems.

“Call it what you like, just make sure it has history, culture and values that are African. You can call it democracy if you like, you can call it African democracy. In that case it will be African with African context and African content,” he said.

On his part, Obi accused some academics, lawmakers, lawyers, religious leaders and judicial officers of contributing to the deterioration of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

The former Anambra State governor recalled his experience of challenging his election at the Court of Appeal, saying five judges whom he had never met ruled in his favour.

“I went to the Court of Appeal; five judges I had never met gave judgment in my favour. So, look at that and look at what is happening today in Nigeria, where professors are now aiding illiterates to rig elections,” Obi said.

He alleged that lawmakers had weakened electoral laws, while some senior lawyers were defending persons accused of forgery.

“Where lawmakers have removed forgery as an offence in electoral matters, and Senior Advocates of Nigeria are defending forgery. Our religious leaders are now praying for criminal politicians for blessing. We have a crisis,” he said.

Obi also criticised the judiciary, alleging that some judges had become politically aligned.

“And above all, our judges are now singing, ‘On your mandate we stand,’” he said.

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Nenadi Usman, urged politicians preparing for the 2027 elections to emulate former President Jonathan’s peaceful conduct during the 2015 presidential election.

Usman said Nigeria’s democracy survived the political tension surrounding the 2015 election because Jonathan conceded defeat to Muhammadu Buhari before the final results were fully announced.

She said Jonathan had demonstrated that political power was not worth the blood of Nigerians.

“Nigeria’s democracy survived the doomsday predictions of bookmakers in 2015 because Jonathan conceded defeat in that year’s election, even before the final votes were tallied,” she said.

Usman urged politicians to place national interest above personal ambition and avoid inflammatory rhetoric that could threaten Nigeria’s democratic stability.

She, however, questioned whether politicians seeking the presidency in 2027 would be willing to make similar sacrifices for national unity.

The LP chairman also described her party as the most structured opposition party in Nigeria, citing its relationship with the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.

“With the combined strength of the NLC and the TUC, both of which are constitutional members of the party, no Nigerian political party is better positioned to show the APC government the exit door than the Labour Party,” she said.

The dialogue was attended by Jonathan, former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, former Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr Ben Nwoye, and the Emir of Bauchi, Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu.

The event brought together political leaders, constitutional experts and civil society representatives to deliberate on the role of political parties and the judiciary in strengthening democracy and preventing democratic reversals in Africa.

President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to preserve the unity of the country despite their differences, saying dialogue remains essential to sustaining Nigeria as a united nation.

Tinubu, represented by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, stated this on Tuesday at the International Conference on Security and National Unity, organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah in collaboration with the Muslim World League.

The President said the government was committed to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges and promoting peace globally through collaboration with other nations.

He said, “Not only that, the government is determined to make sure that we remain united as a country, despite our differences, whatever the differences may be. We should talk and remain in this country, and allow this country to remain a united nation, a united country.”

Tinubu said the conference was timely given the multiple security challenges confronting the world, adding that its deliberations would contribute to efforts to achieve sustainable regional, continental and global peace.

He also commended the Muslim World League for partnering JIBWIS and choosing Nigeria as the first country to host the conference.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, in his remarks, warned political leaders against exploiting religion and ethnicity for political advantage, saying such actions could deepen divisions and leave lasting damage on the country.

The APC chairman said Nigeria’s diversity should be a source of strength rather than division, stressing that religious and ethnic differences should not undermine the shared humanity and common destiny of Nigerians.

Reflecting on his experience as a displaced person during the Bauchi crisis, Yilwatda said violence did not discriminate between Christians and Muslims as everyone suffered.

“When violence comes, it does not ask whether you are a Christian or a Muslim before it destroys either your home, or your humanity, or your dignity,” he said.

He said his experience of living in an internally displaced persons’ camp had taught him that Nigerians could worship differently but still share the same fears, aspirations and destiny.

“We may worship differently. Or we may suffer together. We dream together. We can build together. And ultimately, we can rise and fall together,” Yilwatda said.

The APC chairman urged politicians to resist the temptation to weaponise religion and ethnicity, warning that temporary political gains could result in permanent damage to the nation.

“To our political leaders, let us resist the temptation to exploit religion or ethnicity for sentiments, and sentiments for temporary political advantage.

“No political victory is worth the permanent damage inflicted on our nation, and we’ve been seeing it every day,” he said.

Yilwatda also urged religious leaders to use their influence to promote peace and reconciliation, rather than hatred and division.

“You as religious leaders, let our mosques and our churches become centres of peace, of reconciliation, and responsible citizenship,” he said.

He called on religious leaders to “preach faith without hatred, conviction without contempt, and truth without incitement,” while urging traditional rulers to make dialogue and reconciliation stronger than retaliation.

Yilwatda further called for a collective commitment by religious leaders, political leaders, traditional institutions and citizens to reject hate speech and protect vulnerable communities.

“We will not use religion to justify violence, and we will reject hate speeches where it comes from a pulpit, or a mosque, or the palace, or a political platform, or the keyboard of our social media,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to build a country where people protect one another irrespective of their religious or ethnic backgrounds, saying, “Not because we share the same faith or ethnicity, but because we share the same humanity.”

Yilwatda said Nigeria must choose peace and ensure that future generations inherit schools, homes and opportunities rather than displacement camps and memories of violence.

The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council also urged Nigerians to reject attempts to weaponise religion, ethnicity and poverty to create division, stressing that humanity remains the common bond among citizens.

The Executive Secretary of NIREC, Prof Cornelius Omonokhua, said Christians and Muslims must promote mercy, compassion, love and respect for human dignity.

Omonokhua said, “No one is created a Christian, and no one is created a Muslim. We are created as human beings; hence what binds us together is humanity.”

He said religion must not be used to justify violence, noting that both Christianity and Islam uphold the sanctity of human life.

He added, “We should never allow anybody to weaponise religion or ethnicity or poverty to turn us against each other. May God give us security and may we continue to live in peace and harmony.”

The NIREC executive secretary said the council had continued to promote human dignity, the common good and welfare of Nigerians through cooperation between Christians and Muslims.

Also speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto and Co-Chairman of NIREC, Sa’ad Abubakar III, called for greater implementation of agreements reached at conferences, saying Nigeria does not lack solutions to its problems.

“We don’t lack solutions to our problems. What we lack is implementation. How to implement whatever we agree to do,” the Sultan said.

He also urged Christians and Muslims to desist from insulting one another, saying, “Christians should stop insulting Muslims. Muslims should stop insulting Christians, and that’s how we live in peace.”

The conference was attended by the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Issa, who is present to witness the signing of the Abuja Declaration, which seeks to establish a new alliance between Muslim and Christian leaders and create a peace-building mechanism to help Nigeria and West Africa prevent religious tensions from escalating into violence.

Sheikh Al-Issa is a leading global voice for moderate Islam and interfaith outreach. He is also the most senior Islamic figure to have visited Auschwitz and, during the papacy of Pope Francis, spearheaded one of the first agreements between an Islamic organisation and the Vatican.

Also present at the ceremony were ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, governors, religious leaders, traditional rulers and a host of other dignitaries.