Obasanjo made this remark on Monday at a high-level consultation on Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa held at Green Resort Legacy, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Obasanjo said he was concerned about the recent judgements of the Court of Appeal on the electoral disputes arising from the 2023 elections in Nigeria, which saw three governors being sacked by the judges.
The affected governors are Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, Abba Kabir Yusuf in Kano, and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.
Obasanjo said he did not agree with the powers vested in the hands of the judges, who he said made “cathedral pronouncements” that could not be changed.
He said: “I believe whatever form of democracy we have or whatever system of government we have, three or four men in the judiciary should not be able to overturn the decisions of millions that have voted. Now, we have to find a way to handle that. I don’t know what the way will be but, for me, I think it’s totally unacceptable that millions (of votes), maybe 10m on one side, maybe 9million on the other side. Then, you have five people sitting down, three of them agree, two disagree. And you come up and make cathedral pronouncements that cannot be changed, I believe that should not be accepted.”
Obasanjo said he did not know how to solve the problem, but he suggested that there should be a way to ensure that the will of the people is respected and upheld.
He said: “How do we do it? I don’t know. But whatever form of democracy we have, we should look at how to handle this. If you say ‘go again for election,’ then, what happened to the previous election? I don’t know.”
Obasanjo said he contested the 1999 and 2003 presidential elections to prove a point that democracy could work in Nigeria, and that he respected the outcome of the elections, even when he had some reservations.
He said: “I contested this election to prove a point that democracy can work in Nigeria. I contested to solve the problems of lack of security, corruption, and underdevelopment. I accepted the results, even when I had some doubts because I believed in the rule of law and the constitution of our country.”
Obasanjo urged the political parties and candidates to respect the electoral process and the constitution and to seek redress through the courts if they have any grievances.
He said: “I urge all parties and candidates to respect the democratic process and the constitution of our country. If you have any complaints or disputes, you can go to the courts and seek justice. But you should not resort to violence or subvert the will of the people.”
Obasanjo also called for reforms in the electoral system and the legal framework, to ensure free, fair, and credible elections in the country.