Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has shed light on the failed third-term agenda, implicating certain state governors in the controversial bid.
In an exclusive conversation with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Obasanjo delved into his time in office and his administration’s stance on anti-corruption.
In 2006, the culmination of months of political brinkmanship saw a bill to amend the 1999 constitution to extend term limits by four years failed at the national assembly. While Obasanjo consistently denied seeking an extension of his stay in office beyond 2007, he now asserts that some governors were the driving force behind the third term agenda.
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During his conversation with Chude Jideonwo, the former president said, “The governors, some of them, were doing it for themselves.” Obasanjo revealed that these governors saw an opportunity for their third term if the president succeeded in extending his tenure. This self-serving motivation played a significant role in the third-term fiasco.
In 2004, former Ogun state governor Segun Osoba criticized Obasanjo for what he perceived as inaccuracies in the former president’s book, ‘My Watch,’ and alleged that Obasanjo had almost “gone on his knees” to beg for support for a third term. Goodluck Jonathan, who served as president and governor during that period, also confirmed Obasanjo’s desire for a third term. He attributed the failure of the bid to resistance from the national assembly.
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Addressing long-standing allegations of embezzlement, the former president refuted the claims, emphasizing that his expertise lies in raising funds rather than misappropriating them. He urged individuals incapable of matching his understanding to refrain from casting aspersions on his character.
It is worth noting that, like former President Muhammadu Buhari, Obasanjo ruled Nigeria as a military head of state before returning as a civilian president during the nation’s fourth republic.
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