How Obasanjo Rejected Single-Term Presidency, According to Olanipekun

Senior advocate Wole Olanipekun reveals how former President Olusegun Obasanjo opposed a single-term presidency during his tenure, emphasizing his stance on leadership continuity in Nigeria.

Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), a prominent legal expert, stated that if former President Olusegun Obasanjo had accepted the Nigerian Bar Association’s proposal for a single-term presidency, it could have brought stability to Nigeria.

Olanipekun, a former President of the NBA, emphasized that Nigeria’s constitution should be designed to align with the current realities across all geo-political zones in order to benefit everyone.

He mentioned that during his tenure as President of the NBA, they introduced the idea of a single-term presidency. It was one of their proposals to then-President Obasanjo, who rejected it at the time. He recalled presenting it by saying, “Mr. President, for us to stabilize this Republic, let’s try this experiment.”

The senior advocate addressed journalists during a conversation at his hometown in Ikere Ekiti on Saturday evening, following the 28th Scholarship Award Scheme and 5th Empowerment Programme organized by the Wole Olanipekun Foundation.

At the event, scholarship awards were presented to 150 students from secondary schools, universities, and the Nigerian Law School. Additionally, Youth Entrepreneurs’ Grants were awarded to another 150 individuals. Furthermore, Aged and Widows’ Grants benefitted 100 people while an additional 600 participants received support through a palliatives scheme.

The philanthropist explained that his inspiration for such acts came from having personally experienced poverty and understanding its hardships. He believes the best way to give back to society is by helping those in urgent need.

Commenting on the NBA’s proposal at that time, Olanipekun stated, “We suggested to Obasanjo a single term of five or six years. It wasn’t like how it’s being tossed around now; ours was thoroughly developed and well-researched.”

We proposed that the country be divided into six geopolitical zones. If a President comes from the South-West, for example, there should be six vice presidents representing each zone. Each of these vice presidents would have specific responsibilities: one might oversee the Ministry of Justice as Attorney General; another could manage Education; a third could handle Defence matters; yet another might be responsible for overseeing the Federal Capital Territory, and still another in charge of Works.

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Olanipekun expressed the need for a Nigerian Constitution that considers the interests of all geo-political zones. He stated, “I still believe that we must address and examine this part of the Constitution.”

In my view, the Constitution doesn’t accurately represent Nigeria’s current realities. We need a Constitution that is developed from within our own context. While it’s true that no Constitution can be flawless, continually amending an already imperfect one isn’t sustainable for us.

Earlier at the event, Ekiti State Governor Mr. Biodun Oyebanji expressed his gratitude towards Olanipekun for supporting his administration’s initiatives in education and employment. He also praised the legal expert’s patriotic spirit.

The governor encouraged Olanipekun to continue the scholarship and empowerment programs for societal progress. He also appealed to other prominent Ekiti residents across the state’s 16 local government areas to “follow Olanipekun’s example of selfless service, enabling Ekiti to advance.”

The Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu-Alagbado, praised Olanipekun for his altruistic actions and recognized him as an exceptional and eminent leader within the kingdom.

The traditional leader urged the young men and women in the community to follow Olanipekun’s example by rejecting social vices such as internet fraud, while embracing hard work and perseverance.