Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, has recalled how he thwarted ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term agenda.
Nnamani said he wrote the book, ‘Standing Strong’, to remind Nigerians of the dangerous path it could have taken but for the vigilance and courage of some legislators, and to challenge the citizens never to abandon the responsibility of protecting due process for democracy to survive.
He stated this during the book launch in Abuja on Thursday.
“Our democracy was tested in 2006 and it passed. It was tested again in 2015 and passed. This has culminated in the Buhari presidency. The crucial 2015 test would not have been if we failed the 2006 test, he added.
“The 2006 test was a test of if leaders will rise above fear and the politics of the strongman to strengthen democracy by upholding due process. It was a test of the solidity of our legislature. The 2015 test was a test of whether a ruling political party and an incumbent president will have the grace and patriotism to accept political defeat and allow the opposition to form a new government. This was not a simple test.
“Many African countries failed this test. The result of such failure is the collapse of national consensus and retreat into authoritarian politics with its attendant political instability and economic stagnation.”
Obasanjo has denied ever attempting to extend his tenure in office.