Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he sought a third term in office, declaring that no Nigerian can truthfully accuse him of pursuing tenure elongation.

Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, 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.”

The former president argued that achieving debt relief for Nigeria during his administration was a far tougher task than securing a third term would have been.

“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 added.

Obasanjo also cautioned leaders against clinging to power, describing the belief in one’s indispensability as “a sin against God.”

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, in his remarks, warned that electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa.

“Democracy in the African continent is going through a period of strain and risk of collapse unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform it,” Jonathan said, stressing that genuine elections would ensure non-performing leaders are voted out.

He listed citizens’ core demands as security, good education, healthcare, jobs, inclusivity, and dignity, warning that when leaders fail to meet these needs, “the people become disillusioned.”

Other speakers at the event included ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese. They emphasised that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to embrace accountability, service, and discipline.