Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has broken his silence on the long-standing controversy surrounding his alleged bid for a third term in office, firmly denying that he ever sought to extend his presidency beyond the constitutionally permitted two terms.
Speaking at a democracy dialogue organized by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Obasanjo dismissed the speculation as unfounded and challenged anyone, living or dead, to produce evidence to support the claim.
“There is no Nigerian, dead or alive, who can say I ever approached them about a third term,” Obasanjo declared. “I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I knew how to go about it.”
The former president, who governed Nigeria between 1999 and 2007, highlighted his administration’s success in securing international debt relief as proof of his political capability, insisting that pursuing a third term would have been less demanding by comparison.
“I keep telling people: debt relief was tougher than getting a third term. If I achieved that, I could have done the other if I truly wanted to,” he added.
Obasanjo also criticized the tendency of some leaders to cling to power, warning that such a mindset is both harmful and spiritually wrong.
“They say nobody else can do it, but when God removes you, someone else will take over—and that person might do even better,” he said. “Leadership is best handled by the young, vibrant, and idealistic—not those holding on despite diminishing capacity.”
Obasanjo completed two terms as Nigeria’s civilian president from 1999 to 2007, the maximum allowed under the constitution.
