Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has once again dismissed claims that he tried to extend his stay in office beyond the constitutional two terms, insisting that he never lobbied for a third term during his tenure.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Obasanjo described the allegation as baseless. He declared that no Nigerian—whether living or dead—could truthfully say he was approached to support such an agenda.
“I’m not a fool,” Obasanjo said. “If I wanted a third term, I knew how to go about it. And there is nobody who can claim I ever called them to ask for it.”
The former president argued that his administration had already achieved far more difficult feats, such as negotiating debt relief for Nigeria, which he said was a bigger challenge than seeking tenure elongation.
“If I could secure debt cancellation, which was harder than a third term, then if I wanted one, I would have gotten it,” he noted.
Obasanjo also warned African leaders against clinging to power, stressing that believing oneself indispensable was a “sin against God.”
At the same event, former President Goodluck Jonathan cautioned that Africa’s democracy faced serious threats, especially from electoral malpractice. He argued that when elections are manipulated, bad leaders remain in power against the will of the people.
Jonathan urged reforms that would strengthen transparency and inclusivity, pointing out that citizens expect free elections, accountable governance, security, education, healthcare, and jobs. According to him, without these basic guarantees, democracy in Africa could collapse.
Other speakers, including ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray and Catholic Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, echoed similar concerns, stressing that democracy must go beyond elections to include accountability, discipline, and genuine service to the people.
