Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has broken his silence on the long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third-term ambition.
Obasanjo, who spoke on Saturday at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third-term agenda.
The former Nigerian leader argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third-term ambition.
“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, who would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term.
“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.
He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”
In a similar vein, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.
Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said, unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children, where their voices matter.
He said: “Democracy on the African continent is going through a period of strain and risk of collapse unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want a good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of the Catholic, among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.
