Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has rejected claims that he once tried to secure a third term in office, saying there is no evidence to back the allegation.
Speaking at a democracy dialogue hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Obasanjo said:
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I knew how to go about it. There’s no Nigerian, dead or alive, who can say I ever told them I wanted a third term.”
He explained that securing debt relief for Nigeria during his presidency was a far tougher task than pursuing tenure extension.
“If I could get debt relief, which was harder than a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have gotten it too,” he added.
Obasanjo also warned leaders against staying too long in power, calling it a false sense of indispensability.
“The best work is done when you’re young, energetic, and dynamic. Some people think no one else can replace them, but that’s a sin against God. If God takes you away, someone else will come and they may do better or worse,” he said.
