Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has called for the removal of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other failed leaders in the country and Africa through proper elections.
Johnathan declared that leaders who fail to deliver on their promises should be removed through credible elections, remarking that electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa.
Jonathan’s appeal came on the heels of public outcry about President Tinubu whose administration is thumbed down, by Nigerians who are all plunged into economic hardship since the latter came to power.
Speaking at the 2025 edition of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) Democracy Dialogue in Accra, Ghana, Nigerian former president said democracy on the continent risks collapse unless stakeholders unite to reform governance and strengthen institutions.
In a statement released on Saturday by his Foundations Communications Officer, Wealth Dickson Ominabo, Jonathan stressed that failed leadership thrives when the electoral system is compromised.
If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out, Jonathan said. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
He added that democracy must go beyond just conducting elections, as citizens want freedoms, inclusivity, good education, security, jobs, healthcare, and dignity. Failure to provide these, he warned, risks pushing citizens toward authoritarian alternatives.
Jonathan welcomed the rising involvement of young people in African politics but cautioned that younger leaders must benefit from the wisdom and guidance of older statesmen to succeed in building sustainable democracies.
The former Ghanaian President, John Dramani Mahama also warned that democracy would collapse unless Africans actively worked to protect and renew it.
Democracy will not survive if we dont work for it, Mahama said. Our citizens are tired of corruption, misgovernance, and lack of opportunities. To renew democracy, we must strengthen institutions, deliver development, protect the media, and ensure accountability.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who chaired the session, also declared that Africas current democratic model is unsustainable and requires urgent reforms.
The event was attended by leading policymakers and thought leaders, including ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Touray and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese.
Participants unanimously stressed that democracy in Africa must be redefined to prioritize accountability, service, discipline, and inclusiveness not just periodic elections.
