Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has finally opened up on the third-term imbroglio that dogged the latter days of his government.
In 2007, report emerged that Obasanjo was allegedly scheming for a third term in office but the plot was thwarted by certain political actors.
His former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, and ex-Senate President Ken Nnamani had on several occasions also claimed that Obasanjo wanted to change the constitution in order to extend his term in office.
Speaking on the long-standing controversial issue, the former President distanced himself from the third term agenda .
Speaking during an interview on News Central which aired on Thursday, Obasanjo said he was never interested in a third term and the agenda was pushed by certain persons in government.
Obasanjo stated that if he had wanted a third term, he would have got it. He disclosed that the third term speculation was the handiwork of some governors who were clandestinely working towards elongating their own terms in office.
According to Obasanjo, these governors believed that if he secured a third term, they would also benefit from an extended tenure.
His words: “If I had wanted a third term, I would have gotten it. I didn’t want a third term. I know some governors working for this, believing that if I, as president, got a third, they would also get it.”
Obasanjo revealed that getting debt relief for Nigeria was a far more challenging task than securing a third term. He proudly noted that his administration successfully obtained debt relief for the country, a feat that required diplomatic efforts with countries like France, England, Japan, and the United States.
Atiku Abubakar and Ken Nnamani have both claimed to have played instrumental roles in toppling Obasanjo’s alleged third-term bid.
Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, Atiku claimed that his connections within the National Assembly enabled him to block Obasanjo’s third-term agenda.
Obasanjo and Atiku served as Nigeria’s president and vice president from 1999 to 2007. However, their relationship went sour when Obasanjo chose not to support Atiku as his successor.
Meanwhile, Nnamani, stated that he had to give up his senatorial ambition to ensure Obasanjo’s third-term bid was defeated. He alleged that lawmakers were offered promises and cash incentives, but he remained committed to preventing the agenda, which ultimately led to his failure to secure re-election in 2007
