USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, the first African-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet.
Obasanjo denies plotting for a 3rd term; Jonathan warns Democracy in Africa at risk
Nigeria’s former President who came to power through the ballot box in 1999 and in 1976-1979 served as military dictator, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has asserted that there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.
Obasanjo said: “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.”
He argued at the democracy dialogue hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, on September 17, 2025, that “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.
The former army General and statesman cautioned against leaders overstaying in power. He described such an attitude of indispensability as a “sin against God.”
Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan noted that “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk (of) collapse unless stakeholders came 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.”
He emphasized that “Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want 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.”
