Obasanjo asks Togolese president to step down

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has weighed into the ongoing crisis in Togo, urging President Faure Gnassingbe to step down “unless he has something new” to offer to the citizens.

Over the past three days, the opposition in the country has staged protests to demand the resignation of the president who has spent 12 years in power.

He succeeded his father who led the country for 38 years.

The protesters are also asking for a constitutional reform which includes reduced presidential term limits.

In an interview with BBC, Obasanjo said he believes the Togolese president “must have exhausted whatever ideas he has”.

“I believe that President Gnassingbe will have to do something about it (the protests),” he said.

“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.”

Obasanjo urged “seat-tight” African leaders to “see wisdom” in the decision of Dos Santos of Angola to leave office.

There have been reported cases of clashes between protesters and security forces in the country.

The country’s police were said to have used tear gas to disperse the protesters during a sit-in im Lomé, Angolan capital.