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General News of Sunday, 13 September 2020

Source: face2faceafrica.com

Four famous Nigerian military presidents who ruled with iron fist

General Muhammadu Buhari General Muhammadu Buhari

The story of military leaders metamorphosing into presidents is probably half of the entire political history of post-colonial Africa, and nowhere is a better example than Nigeria.

The country has been under the leadership of 13 Nigerians since its independence in 1960. Seven of these leaders either oversaw military governments or were connected to the military.

For the avoidance of doubt, a president is different from any other kind of leader insofar as the president’s position is designated as such, per constitutional rudiments. So although all of the 13 men were heads of state, technically, not all of them were presidents of Nigeria.

Some of Nigeria’s military capos were appointed while others were elected. In all, four (ex-)military men have so far been designated as presidents of Nigeria.

Olusegun Obasanjo

Obasanjo is now a global advocate for human rights as well as a hugely respected mediator and elections observer. Experience for those roles was accrued from nearly 13 years as Nigeria’s head of state.

Between February 1976 and and October 1979, General Obasanjo was Nigeria’s military ruler. He was then elected as a civilian president between 1999 and 2007.

Muhammadu Buhari

Before becoming the fourth president in the Fourth Republic, Buhari once led Nigeria as its military dictator. Before the elections of 2015, Buhari had to work hard to calm doubts that he was now committed to the democratic dispensation.

He was Nigeria’s military leader between December 31, 1983 and August 27, 1985.

Ibrahim Babaginda

Unlike the first two men, General Babangida was not elected president of Nigeria. He appointed himself the president of the country after a successful coup that upstaged the government of General Buhari.

Babangida even refused to acknowledge the results of a presidential election he sanctioned. Between August 1985 and August 1993, he was Nigeria’s military president.

Abdulsalami Abubakar

Another soldier who was not elected to the presidency was Abdulsalami Abubakar. When infamous military leader Sani Abacha died in 1998, General Abubakar was sworn in as de facto president of Nigeria.

Abubabkar oversaw the transition into the Fourth Republic by establishing a elections commission and undertaking general electoral reforms. In 1999, he handed over peacefully to president-elect Olusegun Obasanjo.