US President Barack Obama said during a speech to the African Union on Tuesday that he had been a "pretty good" president, and that he would have been able to win a third term - if only the law allowed him to.

While speaking about the need for African leaders to step aside when their terms end so as to maintain democracy, Obama jokingly - or not - said, "now, let me be honest with you. I do not understand this. I am in my second term. It has been an extraordinary privilege for me to serve as the 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," he said with a laugh in his voice, indicating how he would like to run again, to which the crowd cheered.

"I actually think I’m a pretty good president," Obama continued. "I think if I ran, I could win. 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."

Despite his rosy appraisal of his own presidency, critics would likely beg to differ over his "pretty good" rating. He has been chiefly criticized for forcing through his "Obamacare" health care plan, and similarly moving to force through a nuclear deal with Iran that would let the leading state sponsor of terror inspect its own covert nuclear facilities.

Obama has admitted the deal will allow Iran to be able to achieve a nuclear weapon in just a few years, and likewise admitted the hundreds of billions of dollars in sanctions relief from it will fund Iran's terror activities, but has threatened to veto Congressional opposition.

On another front, he has admitted to not having a "complete strategy" to fight Islamic State (ISIS), and critics warn he has knowingly let Russia eclipse the US by weakening America militarily and advocating a more reserved global approach encapsulated in his infamous "leading from behind" remark.

As for his claims about being able to win a third term, a Rasmussen Reports daily poll from Monday shows just 46% approve of Obama's performance, whereas 53% disapprove. Tellingly, only 26% strongly approve of Obama's performance, whereas a full 40% strongly disapprove.

A Gallup poll shows that Obama's approval rating term average from January 2009 to the present is at 47% - the total average for all American presidents since 1938 is at 53%, showing how he has fallen short of the mark.