Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and renowned Pan-African scholar and legal expert Professor Patrick Otieno Lumumba have called for a shift in Africa’s democratic journey.
According to them, leaders must connect governance systems to local realities rather than rely solely on imported Western models.
They made their statements at the International Conference on Africa’s Democracy (ICAD 2025), held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Abbas emphasised the critical need for young people to be at the heart of governance across Africa.
Represented by deputy speaker Benjamin Kalu, Abbas charged gathering of policymakers, academics, and civil society leaders on the need for new politics the continent.
In his presentation, Lumumba warned that Africa will continue to suffer political instability and underdevelopment if tribalism remains a tool for political mobilisation.
The event, themed “Building a Governance System That Works for Africa, for Africans”, was organised in partnership with MWG International Initiative and other development actors.
According to Abbas, Africa’s parliaments must become proactive agents of transformation by adopting inclusive and youth-centred legislative frameworks.
He noted that with over 60 per cent of Africa’s population under age 35, parliaments have a duty to empower the youth and integrate them fully into decision-making structures.
“The youth are not just our future — they are the vibrant force of today. Their voices, ideas, and innovations must shape our democratic institutions,” he said.
Citing Nigeria’s Not Too Young to Run Act, Abbas said the legislation had already produced tangible results, with more young Nigerians now occupying elective positions at various levels.
He also referenced the Legislative Mentorship Initiative as one of the homegrown efforts to build civic leadership capacity among the younger population.
“From civic advocacy to digital innovation, young Africans are redefining participatory democracy. Our job is to create laws that reflect their aspirations,” he said.
Abbas stressed that inclusive development would remain elusive without deliberate efforts to dismantle structural barriers to youth and women’s participation.
He pointed to the 10th House’s Eight-Point Legislative Agenda, which prioritises gender-responsive policymaking, youth empowerment, and equitable access to resources.
“Through this agenda, we are institutionalising inclusivity and ensuring that governance is not the preserve of a few but a platform for all,” he added.
The speaker further advocated for enhanced parliamentary collaboration across borders, citing the importance of joint action through the Pan-African Parliament and ECOWAS legislative bodies.
He also underscored the need for African countries to transition from donor-driven models to governance systems rooted in local realities and indigenous values.
Abbas called for more investment in open parliament platforms, digital civic tools, and transparent policymaking to reconnect elected officials with citizens.
“Our democracy will only succeed if it is driven by the people, especially our youth, and if our governance structures reflect the hopes and voices of every African,” he said.
Lumumba, a respected public intellectual and former Director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, said tribalism has become a corrosive force in African politics, weaponised by opportunistic leaders.
“The tribe is innocent; it is the tribalists who are guilty,” Lumumba stated.
He warned that ethnic mobilisation for political gain has kept Africa divided and distracted from tackling critical issues such as poverty, insecurity and bad governance.
Lumumba acknowledged Africa’s cultural diversity but argued that it must never form the foundation of political competition or governance systems.
“We celebrate our differences, but we cannot allow ethnicity to be the basis of political mobilisation,” he said.
According to him, colonial powers deliberately sowed seeds of ethnic division through their “divide and rule” strategy, which continues to haunt the continent.
He referenced the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, where European nations partitioned Africa into arbitrary colonies, ignoring ethnic, cultural, and historical ties among African peoples.
“They told the Hausa and the Fulani one thing, the Igbo another, and sowed mistrust among us,” he said.
The Kenyan professor called on African leaders and citizens to reject the colonial legacy of ethnic competition and instead build inclusive, accountable systems rooted in African governance traditions.
He cited indigenous governance structures such as the Oromo Gadaa system in Ethiopia and the continued reverence for traditional rulers like the Emir of Kano and the Oni of Ife as proof that African models can coexist with modern governance.
“Something must have been good about our traditional systems,” Lumumba remarked.
“We must build from within, not import.” He also lamented that modern politics in Africa is plagued by what he called “kakistocracy”—governance by the least qualified.
According to him, elections across the continent have often failed to deliver good leadership, noting that “the ballot does not always deliver democracy.”
Lumumba challenged young Africans to take ownership of the continent’s future but advised them to learn from the wisdom of elders, warning that “age does not make one intelligent – only wisdom does.”
He called for a united African identity that transcends colonial borders and ethnic allegiances, saying:
“If tribalism continues to shape our politics, Africa is done. But if we rethink governance, build from our roots and include every voice, Africa will rise.”
In his welcome address, Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga called for a shift in Africa’s democratic journey and urged leaders to ground governance systems in local realities rather than rely solely on imported Western models.
“Democracy in Africa must be universal, yet uniquely African,” Odinga declared. We cannot keep importing models that disregard our history, culture, and systems of consensus.”
He warned that many regimes on the continent were rolling back hard-won democratic gains.
Similarly, ICAD 2025 Team Leader, Ambassador Chris Iyama, said, “We need to start talking to ourselves. We need to redefine democracy on our own terms. We need to redefine development on our own terms, rather than accept the kind of development handed down to us by foreign nations.
“For how long are we going to remain dependent on handouts and aid? Are we going to continue along this trajectory, where year in, year out, our budget is insufficient to fund our development because we rely on international development partners, despite having billions of dollars’ worth of natural resources?”
