Obasanjo, Jonathan push for governance reforms

Former presidents separately advocated for reforms to Nigeria’s governance system, with Obasanjo questioning court rulings determining elections and Jonathan proposing a collegiate presidency.

Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan separately advocated for structural reforms to Nigeria’s governance system during a public forum. Obasanjo argued that court rulings should not determine election winners, while Jonathan proposed adopting aspects of a Swiss-style collegiate presidency to reduce power concentration.

Obasanjo’s argument strikes at the heart of Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence. In recent years, courts have increasingly become the final arbiters of election outcomes, a trend that has left many voters feeling disenfranchised. Jonathan’s proposal for a collegiate presidency reflects a recognition that Nigeria’s executive system concentrates too much power in the hands of one person. Both proposals, if adopted, would fundamentally alter Nigeria’s governance architecture.

This echoes the 2010s constitutional reform debates, which also sought to address the concentration of power. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a recognition that Nigeria’s governance system needs reform.

The winners: the Nigerian public, if reforms are adopted; and the former presidents, who have positioned themselves as reformers. The losers: the political establishment, which benefits from the current system; and the Nigerian government, which must consider the proposals.

Bottom Line: Two former presidents are calling for governance reforms. The question is whether the current administration will listen or ignore them.