A Professor of Political Science and member of the Electoral Reform Committee initiated by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Ibrahim Jibrin, has said that the subversion of democracy by West African Presidents is one of the key factors response for coups in the region.
Professor Jibrin spoke on Monday in Abuja during the launch of $20 million West Africa Democracy Fund by the Ford Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Luminate, and Open Society Foundation to strengthen democracy across the West African region.
The fund is targeted at supporting West African states currently facing various democratic challenges over a period of three years.
Jibrin, former Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), said subversion of democracy by various Presidents is the biggest challenge of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS’).
Between 2020 and 2024 alone, West Africa experienced coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic. In addition, Chad and Sudan also experienced military coups in 2021.
Professor Jibrin said: “ECOWAS has been playing a key role as a driving force in West African democracy. However, the biggest challenge is always when presidents come into power democratically and start subverting the system so they will stay long in power.
“That has been the biggest contradiction ECOWAS always face. ECOWAS is committed to supporting the democratic process, but at the same time, the authorities of the States are the major culprits in subverting the democratic process that led to return of coups as well as undermining ECOWAS as a regional body.”
He said lack of good governance has also affected democracy in West Africa negatively, stressing that jobless youths are often used to disrupt electoral processes.