Obasanjo and the verdict of history: an assessment of Obasanjo’s administration in Nigeria 1999-2007

Abstract

The history of modern Nigeria cannot be complete without a mention of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. This is certainly because of the roles he had played in the leadership of Nigeria. He ruled Nigeria as a military Head of State from 1976 to 1979 and as a civilian president from 1999-2007, a feat no other Nigerian had accomplished. The essence of this paper is to ascertain the verdict of history on Obasanjo as a military Head of State and more especially as a civilian president from 1999-2007. His term as a civilian president was a major litmus test for the future of Nigeria’s fledgling democracy. Set as a critical conjecture characterized by high popular expectation and international goodwill on the one hand, and weak institutions and deep seated social cleavages exacerbated by years of military rule on the other, his administration was expected to quickly deliver the dividends of democracy. How far did he go and how positively or negatively had he impacted on Nigerians and the Nigerian nation?