Jonathan, Obasanjo, Mahama Call for Urgent Reform to Protect Democracy in Africa

Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, has called on citizens to vote out underperforming leaders if credible elections are conducted, stressing that electoral manipulation remains one of the greatest threats to democracy on the continent.

Jonathan made the remarks at the 2025 edition of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) Democracy Dialogue, held in Accra, Ghana. His comments were contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the Foundation’s Communications Officer, Wealth Dickson Ominabo.

The former Nigerian leader warned that unless stakeholders across Africa come together to rethink and reform democracy, the system faces the risk of collapse.

According to him, electoral fraud and manipulations have continued to undermine citizens’ confidence in leadership and weaken democratic governance.

“Democracy in the African continent is going through a period of strain and risk of collapse unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.

If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people manipulate the process to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them,” Jonathan said.

He further cautioned that when democracy fails to meet the expectations of the people, it creates desperation that could open the way for authoritarianism.

He urged African leaders to embrace a model of governance that guarantees a better future for the younger generation, where their voices and participation matter.

Also addressing the dialogue, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama warned that democracy would not survive unless Africans actively worked to safeguard and strengthen it. He identified weak institutions, elite capture, exclusion, leadership deficits, and external interference as major factors undermining public trust in democratic governance.

On his part, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who chaired the event, said the current model of democracy practised in Africa is unsustainable. He stressed that unless urgent reforms are undertaken, democracy on the continent risks imminent collapse.

The Democracy Dialogue, organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, continues to serve as a platform for African leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to reflect on the state of governance and propose solutions for deepening democratic values across the continent.