Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has categorically denied persistent allegations that he sought a third term in office during his presidency, asserting that no individual, living or deceased, can provide credible evidence to substantiate such claims. Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue event hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Obasanjo stated, "I think I’m not a fool. If I wanted it, some thought I wanted it, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that will say I called him and told him I wanted the third term. None." His remarks directly address the long-standing controversy surrounding his tenure.

Obasanjo further emphasized the complexity of his achievements as president, particularly highlighting the successful attainment of debt relief for Nigeria. He argued that securing this monumental financial relief was a far more challenging undertaking than securing a third term, suggesting that if he had truly pursued an extension of his mandate, he would have succeeded. "I keep telling them that, ‘look, if I wanted to get debt relief, which is more difficult than getting a third term and I got it’, if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too," he declared, underlining his political acumen and effectiveness.

Beyond addressing the third-term claims, the former leader also offered a critical perspective on leadership duration and the concept of indispensability. He cautioned against leaders who prolong their stay in power and harbor the belief that they are essential, labeling such an attitude as a "sin against God." Obasanjo articulated his philosophy that optimal leadership is often exhibited by younger, more dynamic individuals. He stressed the importance of making way for new and vibrant voices, rather than clinging to power. "I know that the best is done when you are young, ideal and vibrant and dynamic. When you are ‘kuje kuje’ you don’t have the best. But some people believe that unless they are there, nobody else. They will even tell you that they haven’t got anybody else. I believe that that is a sin against God, because if God takes you away, which God can do anytime, then somebody else will come, and that somebody else may do better or may do worse," he concluded, reinforcing his stance on the imperative of leadership succession and renewal. Obasanjo served as Nigeria's president from 1999 to 2007, a period during which the alleged third-term bid was a prominent national discourse.