Former President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadré Ouédraogo, and Gambian parliamentarian Fatoumatta Njai have urged African countries and political parties to strengthen democratic governance by promoting internal party democracy and ensuring elections are transparent, credible and inclusive.
The duo made the call on Tuesday while speaking as panellists at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi.
Ouédraogo stressed that the credibility of representative democracy largely depends on the integrity of elections and the ability of citizens to freely choose legitimate leaders.
He said electoral bodies and political parties must work together to guarantee a transparent and credible electoral process, noting that sustainable democracy could not thrive where elections lack integrity.
The former ECOWAS chief also advised politicians to place national peace and stability above personal or party interests. He urged candidates and parties dissatisfied with election results to support their claims with credible evidence and seek redress through established legal channels.
According to him, the judiciary remains responsible for objectively resolving electoral disputes and determining whether disputed results should stand.
Njai, on her part, criticised the tendency of many African political parties to become active only shortly before elections, arguing that such an approach makes it difficult for them to build strong democratic values and structures.
She cited Senegal’s 2024 elections as an example of how well-established political parties can remain resilient and competitive even in difficult circumstances.
Drawing from her own political experience in The Gambia, Njai said she once chose to contest an election as an independent candidate after challenging her party’s decision to align with the former ruling establishment.
She explained that although she took the matter to court, the case was not resolved until after the election, prompting her to contest independently. She said the eventual outcome demonstrated the importance of allowing voters to make their own choices.
Njai maintained that political parties must first practise democracy within their own structures before they can effectively defend democratic principles at the national, regional, continental and global levels.
She therefore called for stronger internal democratic practices within African political parties as a foundation for building more sustainable democratic systems across the continent.