Obasanjo says its time up for Mugabe

Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo says President Mugabe must consider leaving office as he thinks that there is nothing the nonagenarian leader still wants to achieve after spending so long at the helm.

He told the Jamaica Observer : "Well, I believe that after he has stayed as long as he has, since 1980, I don't believe there is something special that he wants to achieve that he has not so far achieved. I don't believe there is magic that he wants to perform that he hasn't performed."

When the Observer asked Obasanjo if he thought that Mugabe had betrayed the revolution, he gave a heavy sigh before answering.

"Well, he believes that he hasn't. To the extent that the revolution was partly about land redistribution, I would say he has kept faith with the revolution. But to the extent that the revolution was also about democracy, that has not been able to take place. Particularly to the extent of ensuring that there is succession, then I would say he needs to put that in play before he goes, and it's never too late to do that," Obasanjo said.

"I believe that unless he decides to go, he will not go," said the former army general who served as Nigerian president from 1999 to 2007.