The former presidents spoke on Tuesday in Bauchi at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue, themed: “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?” He, however, said more consultations were needed to determine the democratic model best suited to Africa’s peculiar circumstances. “You cannot have a democracy that completely rides roughshod over diversity,” he said, stressing that Nigeria’s ethnic, religious and cultural diversity must be recognised and accommodated in its political system. He argued that Western democracy developed within a different historical context and therefore could not simply be transplanted into Africa without adaptation. The former president therefore advocated the development of an African democratic model rooted in peace, culture and values.