I could really see him going for this, couldn’t you?

President Barack Obama told African leaders that they need to respect term limits in order to preserve democracy in Africa.

The president was speaking to the African Union Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Obama joked with the leaders of African nations that he would win a third term in office if he ran again, but is barred by the Constitution.

“I think if I ran again I could win. But I can’t!” CNN reported Obama as saying.

Obama directed his comments to leaders who refused to step down at the end of constitutional term limits, according to an Associated Press story.

“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,” he said in the text of a speech delivered at the African Union.

Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza secured a third term in an election this month that the United States said was not credible. Other African leaders are also pushing to extend their terms beyond constitutional limits.

Obama said he didn’t understand the concept of remaining in power through force.

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