Remember that the previous President’s bid for a third term was defeated by the Senate, which was led by Senator Ken Nnamani.
According to the cable, Mbeki described his collaboration with Abubakar in opposing the proposed constitutional revision during Obasanjo’s reign, which took place virtually at a conference in Abuja the previous day.
According to him, after placing a phone call to President Obasanjo to express his dissatisfaction with the idea, he agreed with Abubakar to “intervene against the constitutional revision.”
In 2006, more than five years after he had handed over power to Olusegun Obasanjo, Mbeki said, “It is a privilege to reiterate General Abubakar’s commitment to democracy in Nigeria.
The constitution on which President Obasanjo was elected stipulated a two-term limit for the head of state, and because he (Obasanjo) had been elected for the second time, this meant that he (Obasanjo) would end his term in 2007,”
