Obasanjo Denies 3rd Term Plot, Warns Against Power Overstay
By NJORIGE LYNUS
FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once pursued a third term in office, insisting he never sought such an agenda.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Obasanjo said no Nigerian, living or dead, could truthfully claim he solicited support for tenure extension.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. If I could secure debt relief for Nigeria, which was harder than getting a third term, then if I wanted it, I would have got it too,” he said.
Obasanjo cautioned leaders against clinging to power, calling the belief in one’s indispensability “a sin against God.”
Also speaking, former President Goodluck Jonathan warned that electoral manipulation remains one of Africa’s greatest threats, stressing that proper elections would remove underperforming leaders.
“Democracy in Africa is under strain and risks collapse unless we reform it to reflect the people’s will,” Jonathan said, urging leaders to guarantee freedoms, security, jobs, and dignity for citizens.
Other speakers, including ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Omar Touray and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, emphasised that democracy must go beyond elections to embrace accountability and service.
