The Presidency, on Monday, blamed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the current state of Nigeria’s democracy.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who spoke to The PUNCH, noted that the democracy the country currently practises dates back to direct inputs by Obasanjo when he led the country’s first as military Head of State from 1976 – 1979 and as civilian President from 1999 – 2007.

“Obasanjo ought to know that he brought this thing into Nigeria. He was the one who made us adopt it in 1979. He must have seen it as expensive and unsuitable when he governed us for eight years and even wanted an extension for another four years.

“So, the way he is sounding, it is like the man is getting wiser after leaving office,” Onanuga said, reacting to Obasanjo’s post-presidential stance.

The Presidency’s response followed comments made by Obasanjo at the high-level consultation on Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa held at Green Resort Legacy, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.

Obasanjo had criticised Western democracy, suggesting it had not delivered good governance and development in Africa.

He called for a reexamination and moderation of democracy to better suit African nations, citing the Western model’s disregard for African history and complexities.

Obasanjo proposed an “Afro democracy” tailored to the continent’s unique needs.

The ex-president said the snag with the liberal democracy was that it was not home-grown and did not take into account African history and multicultural complexities, among other peculiarities.

Picking holes in the Western liberal democracy, Obasanjo described it as a “government of a few people over all the people or population and these few people are representatives of only some of the people and not fully representatives of all the people. Invariably, the majority of the people are wittingly or unwittingly kept out.”

According to him, African countries have no business operating a system of government in which they have no hands in its “definition and design.”

Obasanjo said, “The weakness and failure of liberal democracy as it is practised stem from its history, content and context and practice. Once you move from all the people to a representative of the people, you start to encounter troubles and problems.

“For those who define it as the rule of the majority, should the minority be ignored, neglected and excluded? In short, we have a system of government in which we have no hands to define and design and we continue with it even when we know that it is not working for us.

“Those who brought it to us are now questioning the rightness of their invention, its deliverability and its relevance today without reform. The essence of any system of government is the welfare and well-being of the people, all the people.”

He argued that Nigerians must “interrogate the performance of democracy in the West where it originated from and with us the inheritors of what we are left with by our colonial powers.”

But the Presidency blamed the former leader for a poorly copied model during his tenure as Head of State and, later, President.

It criticised Obasanjo for not advocating a better system despite his current views saying, “If he believes in what he is saying now, he ought to be an advocate of the need to go back to the parliamentary system.”

Onanuga added, “We were practicing the parliamentary democracy the British left for us. Then, the military struck in 1966. And when we were going to return to democracy, instead of going back to what we were practicing before, parliamentary democracy, which was not expensive, it was this same Obasanjo who accepted the recommendation of the constitutional assembly at that time that recommended this American-style democracy.”

The Presidency criticised Obasanjo’s implementation of the presidential system, saying, “Obasanjo also knew that he copied this presidential system very wrongly. He copied the form and structure. But he didn’t copy the spirit of it.”

“Something that should have been under him in 1999 to 2007, he even made attempts to modify the constitution,” Onanuga remarked.

The

Ok

Bayo Onanuga's recent media vituperations is an evidence of the fact that he was brought on board to dish out propaganda and attack critics of his morally bankrupt principal

This Yoruba government is always a shame of scared of truth and criticism

Always reacting to truth..

Haba!

Wetin una Dey fear

One annoying thing about a black man is he knows he's doing the wrong thing, but after correcting him he would rather reverberate by defending himself rather than making amendments. Shame on you people...
If you're one better make changes.

No hope for Nigeria,

CORNfused 🌽 govt

OBJ is getting old, he probably doesn't remember he brought this system up when he was head of state.

Obasanjo was bad, but the APC have made everything worst. Must 2 wrongs make a right.

Una can bark alone nothing fit touch obj Uncle shege

We coconut 🥥 head agbadorians are very disappointed with Obasanjo over his comments. We'll teach him political lessons even if it means hitting our heads on the floor 100 times.

always defending the obvious anomaly in the Nigeria democratic system still things are spoiling day by day .empty heads

Useless old fool.

Although I agree with the comments of Mr Onanuga,I think we should look at the advice of Baba Obasanjo.
Baba Obasanjo like the presidential spokesman said had the opportunity to change the system but he was aloof or chose to be indifferent.
Like I said,let us look at the content of Baba speech,the part about modifying western Democracy to suit our African needs.
The issue of the majority taking 100% of political power is very very wrong and dangerous.
The last presidential election showed us the majority can actually end up as the minority.
President Tinubu secured 8m votes out of a total of 21m votes, meaning although he had the single majority but the combined votes of Alh Atiku and Peter Obi was more than his votes. I believe it's very wrong to ignore the votes of 13 million voters in any democracy.
Any democracy that fails to ignore this large group of voters is living in a folly,that's where I think Baba Obasanjo advice comes in.
The majority must begin to accommodate the minority in sharing of power,I believe it should also be replicated in our state levels.
Still selling LAND in my Email in Ibeju-lekki
https://www.nairaland.com/7905580/introducing-silvergate-estate-ibeju-lekki
God bless Nigeria.

There is nothing wrong with western democracy, as it has been practiced successfully for centuries in it's different forms/systems across the civilized world. The regional govts we had before was okay, until the military took over and bastardized what the colonialists left behind. Now all we have is nothing but a mindless & shameless scramble for loot like a troupe of monkeys in a banana plantation! That's why countries where the rule of law is tailored to fit the president is called a banana republic, just like the boxer shorts! Everyone is at the mercy of the head of state, which basically is what the president of Nigeria actually is! We call it a democracy, but the Constitution empowers the president to rule like a monarch! The powers of the American President pales in comparison to the powers of the average African leader within his territory. Absolute power corrupts absolutely!

Bobloco:
Bayo Onanuga's recent media vituperations is an evidence of the fact that he was brought on board to dish out propaganda and attack critics of his morally bankrupt principal

Truth is bitter to headless mobs, who brought this presidential system to us?, who bribed the national assembly for a third term agenda of the same presidential system?. Receive sense.

Odin13:
This Yoruba government is always a shame of scared of truth and criticism

Always reacting to truth..

Haba!

Wetin una Dey fear

Coming from ibos who destroyed our parliamentary system with their ibo coup.

Pakute:

Truth is bitter to headless mobs, who brought this presidential system to us?, who bribed the national assembly for a third term agenda of the same presidential system?. Receive sense.

Who wrecked lagos state

Who constructed a conduit pipe from the coffers of Lagos state Treasury, to his personal company Alpha Beta milking the common wealth of Lagosians

He is actually right, but if he had brought this up when he was the President, it would have had impact and made more sense.

I believe he learnt a thing or two while the heads of state between 1976 - 1979, why keep mute during his presidency between 1999 - 2007?

Goodmorning20:
The Presidency, on Monday, blamed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the current state of Nigeria’s democracy.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who spoke to The PUNCH, noted that the democracy the country currently practises dates back to direct inputs by Obasanjo when he led the country’s first as military Head of State from 1976 – 1979 and as civilian President from 1999 – 2007.

“Obasanjo ought to know that he brought this thing into Nigeria. He was the one who made us adopt it in 1979. He must have seen it as expensive and unsuitable when he governed us for eight years and even wanted an extension for another four years.

“So, the way he is sounding, it is like the man is getting wiser after leaving office,” Onanuga said, reacting to Obasanjo’s post-presidential stance.

The Presidency’s response followed comments made by Obasanjo at the high-level consultation on Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa held at Green Resort Legacy, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.

Obasanjo had criticised Western democracy, suggesting it had not delivered good governance and development in Africa.

He called for a reexamination and moderation of democracy to better suit African nations, citing the Western model’s disregard for African history and complexities.

Obasanjo proposed an “Afro democracy” tailored to the continent’s unique needs.

The ex-president said the snag with the liberal democracy was that it was not home-grown and did not take into account African history and multicultural complexities, among other peculiarities.

Picking holes in the Western liberal democracy, Obasanjo described it as a “government of a few people over all the people or population and these few people are representatives of only some of the people and not fully representatives of all the people. Invariably, the majority of the people are wittingly or unwittingly kept out.”

According to him, African countries have no business operating a system of government in which they have no hands in its “definition and design.”

Obasanjo said, “The weakness and failure of liberal democracy as it is practised stem from its history, content and context and practice. Once you move from all the people to a representative of the people, you start to encounter troubles and problems.

“For those who define it as the rule of the majority, should the minority be ignored, neglected and excluded? In short, we have a system of government in which we have no hands to define and design and we continue with it even when we know that it is not working for us.

“Those who brought it to us are now questioning the rightness of their invention, its deliverability and its relevance today without reform. The essence of any system of government is the welfare and well-being of the people, all the people.”

He argued that Nigerians must “interrogate the performance of democracy in the West where it originated from and with us the inheritors of what we are left with by our colonial powers.”

But the Presidency blamed the former leader for a poorly copied model during his tenure as Head of State and, later, President.

It criticised Obasanjo for not advocating a better system despite his current views saying, “If he believes in what he is saying now, he ought to be an advocate of the need to go back to the parliamentary system.”

Onanuga added, “We were practicing the parliamentary democracy the British left for us. Then, the military struck in 1966. And when we were going to return to democracy, instead of going back to what we were practicing before, parliamentary democracy, which was not expensive, it was this same Obasanjo who accepted the recommendation of the constitutional assembly at that time that recommended this American-style democracy.”

The Presidency criticised Obasanjo’s implementation of the presidential system, saying, “Obasanjo also knew that he copied this presidential system very wrongly. He copied the form and structure. But he didn’t copy the spirit of it.”

“Something that should have been under him in 1999 to 2007, he even made attempts to modify the constitution,” Onanuga remarked.

Bayo Onanuga behaving as VOLUNTARY Slave. At his age, he can not discern.

Faiththatworks:
Although I agree with the comments of Mr Onanuga,I think we should look at the advice of Baba Obasanjo.
Baba Obasanjo like the presidential spokesman said had the opportunity to change the system but he was aloof or chose to be indifferent.
Like I said,let us look at the content of Baba speech,the part about modifying western Democracy to suit our African needs.
The issue of the majority taking 100% of political power is very very wrong and dangerous.
The last presidential election showed us the majority can actually end up as the minority.
President Tinubu secured 8m votes out of a total of 21m votes, meaning although he had the single majority but the combined votes of Alh Atiku and Peter Obi was more than his votes. I believe it's very wrong to ignore the votes of 13 million voters in any democracy.
Any democracy that fails to ignore this large group of voters is living in a folly,that's where I think Baba Obasanjo advice comes in.
The majority must begin to accommodate the minority in sharing of power,I believe it should also be replicated in our state levels.
Still selling LAND in my Email in Ibeju-lekki
https://www.nairaland.com/7905580/introducing-silvergate-estate-ibeju-lekki
God bless Nigeria.

Perhaps a parliamentary system of government. Presidential system doesn't work this way. Perhaps OBJ didn't know this when he opted for the Presidential system.

Bobloco:
Bayo Onanuga's recent media vituperations is an evidence of the fact that he was brought on board to dish out propaganda and attack critics of his morally bankrupt principal

The message he passed should be your concern and not his personality. If Obasanjo had governed this country well with the kind of political will he had then, this country will not be in mess by now.

badoh:

The message he passed should be your concern and not his personality. If Obasanjo had governed this country well with the kind of political will he had then, this country will not be in mess by now.

Don't be a hypocrite

A bigot like Bayo working for him morally bankrupt principal got no moral right to speak to Obasanjo in such manner