OBASANJO, OLUSEGUN

born March 5, 1937, Abeokuta, Nigeria Nigerian general, politician, and diplomat who was the first military leader (197679) in Africa to hand over power to civilian rule. In 1999 he was elected president of Nigeria. Obasanjo attended Baptist Boys' High School and later worked as a teacher for a year. Unable to afford college, he joined the army in 1958, receiving further education in England and at cadet school. Obasanjo rose quickly through the army ranks, and during the Nigerian civil war (the Biafra secession, 196770) he headed a commando unit that was instrumental in ending the fighting. In 1975 Brigadier General Murtala Ramat Mohammed seized control of the government but announced that he would relinquish power to civilian rule by 1979. The following year, however, Mohammed was assassinated, and leadership passed to Obasanjo, his deputy. As president, Obasanjo emerged as an influential statesman. He established ties with the United States, and in 1978 U.S. President Jimmy Carter visited the country. Obasanjo continued to push forward Mohammed's timetable for a return to civilian rule, and elections were held in 1979; Obasanjo chose not to run. Voting was extremely close, and he declared Shehu Shagari, who was from the predominately Muslim northern region, the winner. The move angered his fellow Yorubas, but Obasanjo gained the respect of the Hausa-Fulani leaders in the north. Over the next several years, Obasanjo worked as a diplomat, holding 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 military dictatorship, Obasanjo was imprisoned in 1995 for allegedly organizing a coup against Abacha. After Abacha's death in 1998, Obasanjo was released and joined the dominant People's Democratic Party. When the interim leader, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, pledged to hold democratic elections, Obasanjo announced his candidacy for president and in 1999 was declared the winner with some 63 percent of the vote. Nigeria's first civilian leader in 15 years, Obasanjo sought to alleviate poverty, reduce state 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.