‘Democracy is not dead in Africa, only in decline’ –Bishop Kukah

The Catholic Bishop of thf Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, says contrary to popular opinion, democracy is not dead in Africa, but only going through a decline that must be resisted for it to thrive.

Bishop Kukah who is also the founder of The Kukah Centre in Abuja made the assertion while delivering a keynote address at the Accra International Conference Centre on Saturday on the theme, ‘Why Democracies Die’.

He challenged the pessimism surrounding democratic failures in Africa, urging African leaders, policymakers, and citizens to resist despair about democratic decline.

Kukah further insisted that democracy remained resilient, but must be nurtured with vigilance, civic participation, and strong institutions and called for a shift in perspective, proposing a more hopeful framing on how democracies survive.

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“As long as human beings exist, there will be democracy. If we see democracy as the human thirst for justice, fairness, love, integrity, and belonging, then democracy cannot die,” the Catholic Bishop said.

“Politicians, parliaments, and constitutions may be destroyed by autocrats, but the human instinct for freedom will endure,” he added.

He went on to trace Africa’s troubled democratic history, from the disruptions of military coups to the fragile transitions that followed independence, noting how authoritarian legacies, corruption, and external interference undermined institutions.

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