Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said a democratic system that breeds insecurity and lack of peace in the society must be done away with.
The retired military general said this while attending the commissioning of some internal road projects and the inauguration of the Iseyin Campus of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Oyo State on Friday, September 15, 2023.
According to Obasanjo, any democracy built on unemployment and poverty is a failure.
โDemocracy that nurtures a lack of peace and security must be thrown overboard.
โDemocracy dividends must involve peace, security, stability, prosperity, wealth creation, employment and the wholesomeness of the society,โ said the former President.
Obasanjo also warned that a true democratic system requires considerable effort, emphasising that democracy is nothing without work.
โDemocracy that nurtures poverty is abortion. Democracy that nurtures unemployment is a failure.
โThatโs when democracy would continue to survive and people will feel that yes, democracy is a worthwhile system of government that must be embraced,โ he added.
He also expressed his delight over Governor Seyi Makindeโs decision to choose him to be part of the success that he is achieving in Oyo State.
The former president also caused mild drama at the event when he ordered traditional rulers to stand up and greet the elected officials present.
Speaking in Yoruba, Obasanjo stated that despite the status of the traditional rulers, they needed to respect elders and those in positions of power.
โIn our (Yoruba) culture, we honour two main things: age and position. The governorโs position is higher than that of any monarch in as much as he is still the governor,โ he said.