Obasanjo says If I wanted a third term, I knew how to go about it

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has flatly rejected claims that he ever attempted to secure a controversial third term in office, insisting such allegations are unfounded.

Speaking in Accra at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, Obasanjo challenged anyone living or dead to provide evidence that he ever sought to extend his tenure.

“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, who can say I ever told them I wanted a third term,” he said.

The former leader argued that if he could secure international debt relief for Nigeria, a far tougher political task, then a third term, if he had desired it, would not have been beyond his reach.

Obasanjo also warned against the dangers of leaders clinging to power, describing the belief in personal indispensability as a “sin against God.”

“The best is done when you are young, vibrant and dynamic. But some people believe that unless they are there, nobody else can do it. That is a sin against God because someone else will always step in — and may even do better,” he said.

His remarks come amid ongoing debates across Africa about presidential term limits and the temptation for leaders to overstay their welcome in power.