Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president of Nigeria, claims that certain state governors were complicit in the failed third term bid.
A bill to modify the 1999 constitution and extend term limits by another four years, which was the conclusion of months of political chessplay in 2006, was defeated in the national parliament.
Obasanjo has constantly denied attempting to extend his term as president past 2007, blaming several governors for the whole thing.
Obasanjo discussed his tenure in office and the anti-corruption policies of his administration in a conversation with media personality Chude Jideonwo.
According to the former president, “The governors, some of them, were doing it for themselves” on the failed third term campaign.
“Because they would have had a chance for a third term if the president had run for a third.”
Former governor of Ogun state Segun Osoba criticized Obasanjo in 2004 for what he said were falsehoods in his book “My Watch,” noting that the former president nearly “went on his knees” to plead for support for a third term.
Former president and governor during that time, Goodluck Jonathan, also affirmed that Obasanjo genuinely desired a third term, noting that the bid was unsuccessful due to opposition from the national assembly.
Reports had it that Ken Nnamani, a former senate president, claimed that members of the fifth national assembly risked their careers as legislators in order to ensure that the contentious third term campaign was halted.
In response to ongoing accusations of embezzlement, the former president stated that raising funds, not embezzlement, is his strength and urged others to stop criticizing him.
When Nigeria’s fourth republic began, Obasanjo, like previous President Muhammadu Buhari, presided over the continent’s most populous country as its military head of state before taking office again as a civilian.