ACCRA, Ghana (Chatnewstv.com) — Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday dismissed long-standing claims that he tried to extend his time in office beyond the constitutional two terms, insisting he never sought support for a third term.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I knew the process to follow,” Obasanjo said at a democracy dialogue hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra. “And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, who can say I approached them about it.”
Obasanjo, who led Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, said his administration’s successful bid to secure international debt relief was a far greater challenge than extending his presidency would have been.
“I keep reminding people: if I could secure debt relief, which was harder than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have achieved it as well,” he said.
The former president also warned leaders against clinging to power, saying the idea that only one person is indispensable runs against both democracy and faith.
“The best leadership comes when you are young, vibrant, and dynamic,” Obasanjo said. “When you are weak and frail, you cannot give your best. Yet some believe that unless they are in power, no one else can govern.”
“That, I believe, is a sin against God,” he added. “Because once you are gone, someone else will step in — and they may perform better or worse.”
