Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied allegations that he attempted to extend his stay in office for a third term, insisting he never pursued such an agenda.
Gatekeepers News reports that speaking on Wednesday at a democracy dialogue hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Obasanjo said no Nigerian, living or dead, could credibly claim he ever sought their support for a third term.
He said, “I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I knew the process to follow. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, who can say I approached them about it.”
The former president stressed that achieving debt relief for Nigeria during his administration was a more difficult task than securing a third term would have been.
He said, “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.”
Obasanjo also cautioned leaders against overstaying in power, describing the belief that only one person is indispensable as a sin against God.
He said, “The best leadership comes when you are young, vibrant, and dynamic. 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, because once you are gone, someone else will step in — and they may perform better or worse.”
