Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said any leader who fails to perform should be voted out of office if proper elections are conducted.
This is as former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, called for the reform of democracy and its protection in Africa.
Obasanjo also denied allegations that he sought a third term in office when he was president, insisting that if he had wanted a third term, he would have got it, adding also that no Nigerian can produce evidence to support such allegations.
Jonathan, who described electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, said that unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
Jonathan spoke at the 2025 edition of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) Democracy Dialogue, held in Accra, Ghana.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Communications Officer at Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, Mr. Wealth Dickson Ominabo, quoted the former president as saying that where democracy fails to meet expectations, desperation can open the door to authoritarianism.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children, where their voices matter.
He said: “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.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedom. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want a good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned,” Jonathan added.
He also spoke on youth participation in governance, describing it as very encouraging, but emphasised that for the youth to succeed in governance, they need the wisdom and experience of older people to guide them.
Also speaking, the President of Ghana, Mahama, said democracy would not survive unless Africans actively worked to protect and strengthen it.
He warned that weak institutions, elite capture, exclusion, leadership deficits, and external interference erode citizens’ trust in democracy.
“Democracy will not survive if we don’t work for it. We need a reset of democracy and governance to ensure accountability. Anybody who wants to serve must be accountable to the people. Our citizens are tired of corruption, misgovernance, and lack of opportunities.
“To renew democracy, we must strengthen institutions, deliver development, and educate our citizens. We must protect the media and civic space. A free press is democracy’s immune system. Democracy dies when citizens lose faith, when leaders abandon integrity, and when institutions succumb to capture. But democracy can be renewed when citizens rise to defend it.”