Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for comprehensive reforms of Nigeria’s democratic system, describing its current practice as opaque and amorphous and warning that the country may struggle to achieve meaningful development without institutional changes.
Jonathan made the call on Saturday while delivering his address as Chairman of the Occasion at the Herbert Macaulay Memorial Colloquium in Lagos.
The former President said the nation’s democratic system must be reviewed to align with fundamental democratic principles, including popular participation, the rule of law, separation of powers, respect for human rights, judicial independence and accountability.
“We must review our opaque and amorphous democratic system and align it with the fundamental pillars of democracy.
“These include popular participation, the rule of law, separation of powers, respect for human rights, judicial independence, accountability, prudence and democratic governance.
“We must build a democracy supported by vibrant civil society institutions,” he said.
Jonathan said the country’s democratic practice lacked the institutional clarity required to promote sustainable development.
“What we are practising today, as political scientists here may agree, is difficult to define and understand. It is an amorphous democracy that lacks clear institutional character.
“Until we move away from this opaque and amorphous democratic practice, we may find it difficult to make the progress we desire,” he said.
He also identified the reform of political recruitment processes as another critical requirement for national development, expressing concern that political leadership selection in Nigeria remained influenced by religion, ethnicity, language and other considerations rather than competence.
Jonathan said the practice had persisted since the pre-independence era and continued to undermine the emergence of capable leaders who could drive national development.
