Nigeria
Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has advised long serving African leaders to leave office because if they did not, ‘office will leave them.’
According to him, a reason why most of such leaders stay on was because they had fears. He added that they were, however, becoming a rare commodity.
“Well, really after 12, 15 years, some of them up to 30, some have fears, I think that now they are becoming a rare commodity. And maybe if you don’t leave office, what happens, office will leave you,” he stressed.
Africa’s longest serving presidents still going strong
Africa's longest-serving presidents (AFP) pic.twitter.com/zePxNTREwu
— Kenyanwallstreet (@kenyanwalstreet) August 23, 2017
He reserved praise for Angola’s dos Santos, who recently opted to step down after 38 years in charge. Obasanjo said he hoped other leaders will follow dos Santos’ lead. “Not too long ago, president dos Santos decided to leave office, maybe others will see wisdom in what he has done.”
The 80-year-old was addressing the topic of political tension in Togo, where he is on record to have called on President Faure Gnassingbe to leave office.
“I believe whatever he has to do in terms of development, whatever ideas he has, he has he must have exhausted them by now, unless he has something new that we do not know,” he told the BBC late last week.
01:03
Campaigning in Togo ends Sunday ahead of legislative and regional elections
02:00
Togo: Expectations are high for Monday's legislative polls despite controversy
01:27
Togo heads to 'controversial' legislative polls on Monday
01:15
Africa: About 51 million lives saved through immunization programme - WHO
01:47
Environmental Volunteering: Activists gather in Lagos ahead of World Earth Day
00:39
Nigerian chess master plays for 60 hours in bid to set new world record