If I wanted third term, I would’ve gotten it — Obasanjo

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has refuted long-standing claims that he attempted to extend his presidency beyond two terms, insisting he never sought such a move.

Obasanjo made the remarks on Wednesday during the democracy dialogue hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra. He stressed that no evidence exists to back the speculation.

“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian dead or alive that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” Obasanjo said.

The former president argued that securing debt relief for Nigeria during his administration was a much tougher feat than pursuing a tenure extension.

“I keep telling them that, look, if I wanted to get debt relief, which is more difficult than getting a third term and I got it, if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he added.

Obasanjo also cautioned against leaders clinging to power, stressing that such behaviour reflects a false sense of indispensability.

“I know that the best is done when you are young, ideal and vibrant and dynamic. When you are ‘kuje kuje’ you don’t have the best. But some people believe that unless they are there, nobody else,” he said.

“They will even tell you that they haven’t got anybody else. I believe that that is a sin against God, because if God takes you away, which God can do anytime, then somebody else will come, and that somebody else may do better or may do worse.”

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