Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has categorically dismissed long-standing claims that he attempted to extend his presidency beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms, insisting that he never sought a third term and challenging anyone to provide evidence to the contrary.

 

Speaking on Wednesday at the Democracy Dialogue hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, the 86-year-old former leader addressed one of the most persistent controversies of his political legacy.

 

“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it,” Obasanjo declared.

“There is no Nigerian—dead or alive—that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term.”

Obasanjo, who governed Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, maintained that no credible evidence exists to support allegations that he made efforts to alter the constitution in his favour. He dismissed the claims as political speculation fueled by misinformation.

 

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

 

Under Obasanjo’s leadership, Nigeria secured a historic debt forgiveness deal from the Paris Club in 2005, wiping out over $18 billion in debt. He argued that navigating global financial negotiations was far more complex than any constitutional amendment process would have been.

In a broader reflection on leadership and democracy in Africa, Obasanjo criticized leaders who cling to power, describing the pursuit of indefinite rule as stemming from a “false sense of indispensability.”

 

“I know that the best is done when you are young, ideal, vibrant, and dynamic. When you are ‘kuje kuje’ [feeble], you don’t have the best,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.

 

He accused some leaders of believing they are irreplaceable—an attitude he said was not only undemocratic but “a sin against God.”

 

“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.”

Obasanjo’s remarks rekindle debate around the controversial third term saga, a political episode that continues to shadow his administration nearly two decades later. While a proposed constitutional amendment to extend presidential term limits did emerge during his second term, it was ultimately rejected by the National Assembly in 2006, and Obasanjo completed his tenure peacefully in 2007.

 

Though he has consistently denied involvement in pushing for the extension, many observers have remained skeptical—until now.

 

His latest comments, made in a regional forum focused on democratic consolidation, appear to be his most forceful public denial to date.

Obasanjo’s warning resonates across a continent where term limit evasion remains a pressing issue. From Guinea to Uganda, and recently to countries like Rwanda and Côte d’Ivoire, constitutional changes and prolonged rule continue to test Africa’s democratic institutions.

 

“Good governance is not about how long you stay, but what you leave behind,” Obasanjo said in closing.

 

As Africa grapples with preserving democratic transitions, Obasanjo’s voice remains influential — and, as this latest declaration suggests, still unafraid to confront long-held narratives.