Obama Warns African Leaders Who Refuse to Quit Power

Speaking to African leaders at the African Union Headquarters in Ethiopia today July 28th, President Obama asked African leaders to leave office whenever their tenure expires. U.S President, Barrack Obama, has asked African leaders to leave office whenever their tenure comes to an end. He shaded President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe who has been in power since 31 December 1987, and Burundi President, Pierre Nkurunziza, who also has been in power since 2005.
While speaking to African leaders at the African Union Headquarters in Ethiopia today, July 28th, below is what President Obama said on the matter;

"I am in my second term. Its been an extraordinary privilege for me to serve as President of the United States. I love my work but under our constitution I cannot run again. I actually think I am a pretty good president. I think if I ran I could win. But I can't. So there is a lot that I will like to do to keep America moving but the law is the law and no one person is above the law. Not even the president. And I will be honest with you. I am looking forward to life after being president. I wouldn't have such a big security detail all the time. It means I can go take a walk. I can spend time with my family. I can find other ways to serve. I can visit Africa more often.
The funny thing is I don't understand why people want to stay so long especially when they have got a lot of money. When a leader tries to change the rules in the middle of the game just to stay in office, it risks instability and strife as we have seen in Burundi. Sometimes you hear a leader say well I am the only person who can hold this nation together. If that's true, then that leader has failed to build their nation. You look at Nelson Mandela. Madiba like George Washington forged a lasting legacy not only because of what they did in office but because they were wiling to leave office, transfer power peacefully.

Hear him: I'll be frank with you, it can't just be America that's talking about these things. Fellow African countries have to talk about these things. (Applause.) Just as other countries championed your break from colonialism, our nations must all raise our voices when universal rights are being denied. For if we truly believe that Africans are equal in dignity, then Africans have an equal right to freedoms that are universal -- that’s a principle we all have to defend. (Applause.) And it's not just a Western idea; it's a human idea.

I have to also say that Africa’s democratic progress is also at risk when leaders refuse to step aside when their terms end. (Applause.) Now, let me be honest with you -- I do not understand this. (Laughter.) I am in my second term. It has been an extraordinary privilege for me to serve as President of the United States. I cannot imagine a greater honor or a more interesting job. I love my work. But under our Constitution, I cannot run again. (Laughter and applause.) I can't run again. I actually think I'm a pretty good President -- I think if I ran I could win. (Laughter and applause.) But I can't.

So there’s a lot that I'd like to do to keep America moving, but the law is the law. (Applause.) And no one person is above the law. Not even the President. (Applause.) And I'll be honest with you -- I’m looking forward to life after being President. (Laughter.) I won't have such a big security detail all the time. (Laughter.) It means I can go take a walk. I can spend time with my family. I can find other ways to serve. I can visit Africa more often. (Applause.) The point is, I don't understand why people want to stay so long. (Laughter.) Especially when they’ve got a lot of money. (Laughter and applause.)

When a leader tries to change the rules in the middle of the game just to stay in office, it risks instability and strife -- as we’ve seen in Burundi. (Applause.) And this is often just a first step down a perilous path. And sometimes you’ll hear leaders say, well, I'm the only person who can hold this nation together. (Laughter.) If that's true, then that leader has failed to truly build their nation. (Applause.)

You look at Nelson Mandela -- Madiba, like George Washington, forged a lasting legacy not only because of what they did in office, but because they were willing to leave office and transfer power peacefully. (Applause.) And just as the African Union has condemned coups and illegitimate transfers of power, the AU’s authority and strong voice can also help the people of Africa ensure that their leaders abide by term limits and their constitutions. (Applause.) Nobody should be president for life.

And your country is better off if you have new blood and new ideas. (Applause.) I'm still a pretty young man, but I know that somebody with new energy and new insights will be good for my country. (Applause.) It will be good for yours, too, in some cases.