Leave now, you’re bankrupt of ideas, Obasanjo tells Togolese President

As protests mount against the already 12-year rule of President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo by some Togolese citizens led by the country’s opposition party, former president Olusegun Obasanjo has called on Gnassingbe to step down, noting that he had nothing new for his people.

Obasanjo, who made his position known in an interview with BBC, also said that the county should have a new constitution that will limit a president’s stay in power.

His comments are in sync with the demands of the country’s protesters.

President Gnassingbe, who has already spent 12 years in power, succeeded his father who ruled Togo for 38 years.

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In asking the Togolese president to step down, Obasanjo said he “must have exhausted whatever ideas he has.”

According to him, “I believe that President Gnassingbe will have to do something about it (the protests).

“I believe they should have a new constitution that will have a limit to the number of terms anybody can be president and he should abide by that.

“I [also] believe whatever he has to do in terms of development, whatever ideas he has, he must have exhausted them by now. Unless he has something new that we don’t know.

“After twelve to fifteen years, some of them (African leaders) up to thirty…and maybe, if you don’t leave office, office will leave you”.

 

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