Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has questioned the suitability of Western-style democracy for Nigeria, warning that the country’s constitutional framework and partisan politics have constrained effective governance.
Speaking in an interview with Tinews Report on Wednesday, Akinyemi argued that imported democratic models cannot automatically solve Nigeria’s complex social, political, and security challenges.
“China, that has moved forward, is not running a Western-type democracy. And in any case, with somebody like Trump, that democracy has brought forward in the United States, I’m not sure that I will be preaching Western democracy as a panacea for the problems we have in this country,” he said.
Akinyemi described Nigeria’s current democracy as “a democracy of negativity,” in which opposition parties attack government initiatives reflexively rather than offering constructive alternatives.
“You must just oppose for opposition’s sake,” he said, highlighting a lack of national vision among political actors.
Reflecting on his experience serving under the military, Akinyemi drew contrasts with today’s governance environment.
“Under the military, that would not have happened,” he said, referring to the mishandling of security and administrative procedures. “Please, don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating a military regime. I’m just saying that we served in the military and we had a focus.”
He said current political actors confront unprecedented challenges, from Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency to rampant kidnapping, yet fail to develop coherent strategies.
“In Nigeria of today, you are confronting Boko Haram. You are confronting ISWAP. You are confronting people who are busy kidnapping people. It didn’t take place in our own time.”
Akinyemi also discussed unintended consequences of Nigeria’s constitutional two-term limit, noting how successive governments often reverse the achievements of their predecessors.
“Often, people say, be careful what you pray for. Because if you have only two terms, but when you finish that, the next government coming in reverses all the things that you have done… that is the consequence of having two terms.”
He praised governments that have pursued a coherent vision, citing the Obasanjo administration of 1999.
“The only government that I can think of since June 12 that had a vision and ran with that vision was the Obasanjo government of 1999,” he said.
Calling for a reassessment of Nigeria’s democratic model, Akinyemi suggested revisiting foundational governance structures.
“I think we must go back to basics. We tried it when we had the National Conference… But the National Conference was also limited. I was the vice chairman, I was the deputy chairman. It was limited in the objectives that we pursued.”
Boluwatife Enome
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