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Presidency fumes, tackles Obasanjo over democracy comment
The Presidency, on Monday, blamed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the current state of Nigeria’s democracy.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that the democracy the country currently practises dates back to direct inputs by Obasanjo when he led the country’s first as military Head of State from 1976 – 1979 and as civilian President from 1999 – 2007.
“Obasanjo ought to know that he brought this thing into Nigeria. He was the one who made us adopt it in 1979. He must have seen it as expensive and unsuitable when he governed us for eight years and even wanted an extension for another four years.
“So, the way he is sounding, it is like the man is getting wiser after leaving office,” Onanuga said, reacting to Obasanjo’s post-presidential stance.
The Presidency’s response followed comments made by Obasanjo at the high-level consultation on Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa held at Green Resort Legacy, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.
Obasanjo had criticised Western democracy, suggesting it had not delivered good governance and development in Africa.
He called for a reexamination and moderation of democracy to better suit African nations, citing the Western model’s disregard for African history and complexities.
Obasanjo proposed an “Afro democracy” tailored to the continent’s unique needs.
The ex-president said the snag with the liberal democracy was that it was not home-grown and did not take into account African history and multicultural complexities, among other peculiarities.
Picking holes in the Western liberal democracy, Obasanjo described it as a “government of a few people over all the people or population and these few people are representatives of only some of the people and not fully representatives of all the people. Invariably, the majority of the people are wittingly or unwittingly kept out.”
According to him, African countries have no business operating a system of government in which they have no hands in its “definition and design.”
Obasanjo said, “The weakness and failure of liberal democracy as it is practised stem from its history, content and context and practice. Once you move from all the people to a representative of the people, you start to encounter troubles and problems.
“For those who define it as the rule of the majority, should the minority be ignored, neglected and excluded? In short, we have a system of government in which we have no hands to define and design and we continue with it even when we know that it is not working for us.
Those who brought it to us are now questioning the rightness of their invention, its deliverability and its relevance today without reform. The essence of any system of government is the welfare and well-being of the people, all the people.”
He argued that Nigerians must “interrogate the performance of democracy in the West where it originated from and with us the inheritors of what we are left with by our colonial powers.”
But the Presidency blamed the former leader for a poorly copied model during his tenure as Head of State and, later, President.
It criticised Obasanjo for not advocating a better system despite his current views saying, “If he believes in what he is saying now, he ought to be an advocate of the need to go back to the parliamentary system.”
Onanuga added, “We were practicing the parliamentary democracy the British left for us. Then, the military struck in 1966. And when we were going to return to democracy, instead of going back to what we were practicing before, parliamentary democracy, which was not expensive, it was this same Obasanjo who accepted the recommendation of the constitutional assembly at that time that recommended this American-style democracy.”
The Presidency criticised Obasanjo’s implementation of the presidential system, saying, “Obasanjo also knew that he copied this presidential system very wrongly. He copied the form and structure. But he didn’t copy the spirit of it.”
“Something that should have been under him in 1999 to 2007, he even made attempts to modify the constitution,” Onanuga remarked.
News
Just in: Tuggar resigns as Foreign Minister
Tuggar submitted his resignation letter to the President in preparation to contest under the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet to pursue the Bauchi State governorship in the 2027 elections.
The Ministry confirmed the resignation on Monday through its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa.
Tuggar submitted his resignation letter to the President in preparation to contest under the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform.
Tuggar’s resignation comes following a presidential directive issued earlier in March.
The order, communicated through the office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, required all political appointees seeking elective positions to resign by March 31, 2026.
The directive applies to ministers, ministers of state, special advisers, senior special assistants, special assistants, personal assistants, and heads of federal agencies.
News
Lagos High Court Embraces Full Digital Transformation with Mandatory E-Filing
The Federal High Court Lagos Division is set to fully transition to a digital era, as it mandates electronic filing for all new cases starting from April 27, 2026.
In a major push towards modernizing justice delivery, the court announced that manual filing of new cases will cease on April 24, 2026. From April 27 onwards, legal practitioners will be required to file all fresh matters exclusively through the court’s new e-filing platform.
Existing cases filed before the transition date will continue to be processed under the traditional manual system until final judgment is delivered, ensuring no disruption to ongoing litigation.
According to a statement from the court, any understatement of claims or misrepresentation of documents submitted via the platform will attract a penalty of ₦10,000 per filing, in addition to the payment of any outstanding fees.
To gain access to the e-filing system, lawyers must first obtain a Legal Mail account. Law firms are also required to upload their Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration documents when creating their digital profiles.
Oath-related documents will be handled through the dedicated e-Affidavit portal. However, deponents will still be required to physically appear before a Commissioner for Oaths to complete the process.
This initiative forms part of the Federal High Court’s broader digital transformation drive aimed at enhancing efficiency, transparency, and accessibility in the justice system.
Legal practitioners are advised to familiarize themselves with the platform ahead of the deadline to avoid any hitches in filing new matters.
News
President Tinubu at 74, Donates Salaries to Armed Forces Welfare Fund
As a personal commitment, the President has pledged to contribute all his salaries since assuming office as seed funding for the initiative, reinforcing his resolve to ensure that those who have borne the cost of Nigeria’s peace and security are not forgotten.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the establishment of a dedicated support fund for members of Nigeria’s Armed Forces, those wounded in the line of duty, and the families of fallen heroes.
The President announced the initiative on Sunday, using the commemoration of his 74th birthday, to honour the courage, sacrifice, and service of the nation’s military personnel.
In a statement , Bayo Onanuga the Special Adviser to the President Information and Strategy, said that President Tinubu has directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to establish a special account for the fund, which will provide targeted support to injured service members, as well as to widows, widowers, and children of those who lost their lives in service to the country.
As a personal commitment, the President has pledged to contribute all his salaries since assuming office as seed funding for the initiative, reinforcing his resolve to ensure that those who have borne the cost of Nigeria’s peace and security are not forgotten.
The President called on State Governors, members of the National Assembly, the private sector, his friends, and well-wishers to support the initiative, noting that details of the fund will be made available in due course.
President Tinubu emphasised that the initiative is rooted in a solemn national obligation to care for those who stand in harm’s way and the families who carry the burden of their sacrifice, irrespective of insurance programmes available to members of the armed forces.
President Tinubu also stated that supporting members of the Armed Forces and their families is not an act of charity, but a duty that all must fulfil.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the welfare of military personnel and ensuring that their service to the nation is matched with dignity, care, and sustained support.”
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