BAUCHI — Former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged political parties and judicial institutions across Africa to strengthen democratic practices and ensure that the choices of voters are respected.
Jonathan made the call at the closing of the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) Democracy Dialogue held in Bauchi.
The dialogue, themed “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save Africa’s Democracy?”, focused on the challenges confronting democratic governance on the continent.
Jonathan, who chairs the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, warned that democracy could lose its meaning if the principles and institutions supporting it continued to weaken.
He said political parties had an important role to play in strengthening democracy and should operate as genuine democratic institutions.
According to him, parties must promote internal democracy, select credible leaders, respect their constitutions and place national interests above narrow partisan considerations.
Jonathan also advocated stronger regulatory frameworks for political parties across African countries to improve accountability and democratic standards.
He pointed to Kenya, where a dedicated institution works alongside the electoral management body to regulate political activities, suggesting that similar arrangements could be considered by other African nations.
The former president also tasked the judiciary with playing a stronger role in protecting democratic values.
He urged judges handling electoral and political disputes to uphold fairness, impartiality and the rule of law, stressing the importance of judicial independence in democratic governance.
Jonathan expressed concern over the increasing tendency for electoral disputes in some African countries to be determined in court rather than through the ballot box.
He cautioned that courts should not routinely become the final arena for deciding political mandates that ought to reflect the choices of voters.
While acknowledging that democratic governance remains the preferred system in many African countries, Jonathan said growing public dissatisfaction showed that the continent needed to critically examine how democracy was being practised.
He attributed some of the discontent to the weakening of democratic principles, disregard for constitutional provisions and corruption within political systems.
The former president noted that there was no single model of democracy suitable for every country because nations have different histories, cultures and political circumstances.
However, he maintained that certain fundamental principles must remain central to any democratic system.
Jonathan identified popular sovereignty, the rule of law and separation of powers among the essential foundations of democracy.
He also listed the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, transparency and accountability, credible elections, political pluralism and an active civil society as other important pillars.
He therefore called on African political leaders, parties and institutions to work toward strengthening these principles in order to restore public confidence and deepen democratic governance across the continent.
The 2026 GJF Democracy Dialogue brought together political leaders, policymakers and stakeholders to examine the future of democracy and governance in Africa.
