The kingmaker and a respected elder state man

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is a Nigerian general, statesman, and diplomat, who was the first military ruler in Africa to hand over power to a civilian government. He served as Nigeria’s military ruler (1976–79) and, as a civilian, as president (1999–2007).

BACKGROUND

Chief Obasanjo was born in March 5, 1937 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He attended Baptist Boys’ High School in Abeokuta, in southwest Nigeria, and later worked as a teacher. Unable to afford college, he joined the army in 1958 and received officer training in England. Obasanjo rose quickly through the army ranks. During the Biafra conflict (1967–70) he was appointed to head a commando division that was stationed at the Biafran front in southeastern Nigeria. The conflict ended when Biafran forces surrendered to him in January 1970.

In 1975 Brigadier General Murtala Ramat Mohammed ousted General Yakubu Gowon, the military head of state at the time, but announced that he would relinquish power to civilian rule by 1979. The following year, however, Mohammed was assassinated during an unsuccessful coup attempt, and leadership passed to Obasanjo, his deputy. During the three years he headed the government, Obasanjo emerged as an important African statesman and established ties with the United States. Obasanjo followed his predecessor’s timetable for a return to civilian rule and did not run for president when elections were held in 1979. Voting was extremely close, but Nigeria’s Federal Electoral Commission declared Shehu Shagari, from the north, the winner over the strongest challenger from the south, Obafemi Awolowo, who was a Yoruba. The results were condemned by most of Obasanjo’s fellow Yoruba as well as others over allegations that the election had been rigged, but the outcome was upheld by the Supreme Court, and Obasanjo gained the respect of the Hausa-Fulani leaders in the north for handing over power to Shagari.

Over the next several years, Obasanjo’s international profile rose considerably, as he held various positions in the United Nations and other organizations. A vocal critic of General Sani Abacha, who seized control of Nigeria in 1993 and established a repressive military government, Obasanjo was imprisoned in 1995 for allegedly organizing a coup against Abacha. Following Abacha’s death in 1998, Obasanjo was released. After the interim military leader, General Abdusalam Abubakar, pledged to hold democratic elections, Obasanjo announced his intention to run for president as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He was declared the winner of the 1999 election with some 63 percent of the vote. There were widespread reports of fraud, however, and the results were strongly criticized by many, particularly the Yoruba, who had largely supported Olu Falae, Obasanjo’s opponent.

Nigeria’s first civilian leader in 15 years, Obasanjo sought to alleviate poverty, reduce government corruption, and establish a democratic system. He also pledged to reform the military and the police. Religious and ethnic strife, however, became a central concern during his presidency, as incidents of violence mounted and as most Muslim-dominated states in the north and centre of the country adopted Sharīʿah law. Obasanjo’s harsh response to ethnic strife in the South earned condemnation. Indeed, his overall authoritative style, the corruption that was still evident among government officials, and a strong challenger—Muhammad Buhari, a northerner who was a former general and a former military head of state—were among the reasons that Obasanjo faced a shrinking power base heading into the 2003 presidential election, despite receiving the pragmatic support of leading Yoruba politicians this time around. Still, Obasanjo was elected to a second term in April 2003, winning more than 60 per cent of the votes cast, but, as with previous elections, there were widespread reports of voting irregularities and allegations of fraud.

In 2006 Obasanjo came under domestic and international criticism for attempting to amend the constitution to allow him to stand for a third term as president; the proposed amendment was rejected by the Senate later that year. With Obasanjo unable to run, Umaru Yar’Adua was selected to stand as the PDP’s candidate in the April 2007 presidential election. He was declared the winner. Nonetheless, Yar’Adua succeeded Obasanjo and was sworn in on May 29, 2007.

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