Abdulsalami Abubakar Military Government In Nigeria (1998 – 1999)
| Abdulsalam | Abubakar |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Abdulsalami Abubakar |
| Date of Birth | 13th June, 1942 78 Years – ( January 24, 2021 {Last Update}) |
| Nationality | Nigeria |
| Place of Birth | Minna, Nigeria |
| Political Party | NIL (Military) |
| Service | Nigerian Air Force Nigerian Army |
| In Office | 9 June 1998 – 29 May 1999 (President) December 1993 – June 1998 (Chief of Defence Staff) |
Abdulsalami Abubakar Military Government In Nigeria
Abdulsalami Abubakar Military Rule (1998 – 1999)
Following the sudden death of General Sani Abacha on 8th June, 1998, General Abdusalami Abubakar, the Chief of Defence Staff was appointed as the new Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The regime was therefore a child of circumstance.
The immediate challenge of the regime was how to douse the tension mated by the sudden death of Chief Abiola in prison one month after Abacha’s demise. It also had to organise a new transition programme and Hand-over power to civilians as quickly as possible, if only to save the military from itself.
The Abdusalam government quickly moved to address some of the political problems it inherited from the Abacha military junta among which was the truncated transition-to-civil-rule programme.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was overhauled and a new chairman was appointed for the commission. Three new political parties were registered, namely, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Peoples Party (APP) and Alliance for Democracy (AD).
A new constitution was drafted and another transition programme was announced. Elections were held in early 1999 and a new government was worn in at all levels on 29th May 1999. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party became the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and this brought to an end fifteen years of continuous military rule in the country.
