A former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has called on the judiciary and political parties across Africa to strengthen democratic institutions and protect the will of the people.
Speaking at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) democracy dialogue on Tuesday in Bauchi in northern Nigeria, Dr. Jonathan, who is the Chairman of the Foundation, warned that democracy could become a mere front if its foundational principles are weakened.
He said that political parties should become genuine democratic institutions by embracing internal democracy, producing credible leaders, respecting their own rules and putting national interest above partisan interests.
“Strong democracies cannot emerge from weak political parties,” Jonathan said.
He called for stronger frameworks across Africa to regulate political parties and enhance democratic integrity.
While citing Kenya’s model of a dedicated institution to regulate political activities alongside the electoral management body, he said that other African countries could adopt similar arrangements to strengthen political accountability.
Jonathan called on the judiciary to protect democracy, as it carries “an equally or more profound responsibility” in that regard.
According to him, judicial officers handling political cases should be guided by the principles of impartiality, fairness and the rule of law.
Jonathan expressed concern that in some African countries, electoral contests were increasingly being settled in courtrooms rather than at the ballot box.
Jonathan urged African leaders to consciously build their political parties, legislatures, executives and judiciaries around these democratic principles.
“History will judge our democracies not by the number of elections we conduct, but by the strength of the institutions we build and the fidelity with which we uphold these democratic pillars,” he said.
Jonathan advocated for a fundamental re-examination of democratic practices across Africa, warning that a rigid adherence to Western liberal democracy without adapting to local realities contributes to the continent’s growing democratic recession.
He called on African countries to move away from the cycle of political instability and electoral crises and build strong institutions capable of promoting peace, development and shared prosperity.
“The courtroom should not become the arena where political mandates are routinely determined,” he warned.
He said that a functional democracy should rest on eight cardinal pillars, including sovereignty of the people, rule of law, and separation of powers.
Others are protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, accountability and transparency, free and credible elections, political pluralism, and an active civil society.
He cautioned that although no country can score perfectly on all the pillars, substantial compliance with most of them is necessary for democracy to remain stable and sustainable.
“When several of these foundations of democracy are weakened, what emerges is not genuine democracy but a pseudo-democracy; one that retains democratic forms while steadily losing democratic substance,” he added.
GIK/APA