Ernest Shonekan
| Ernest Shonekan | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) |
|
| 9th President of Nigeria | |
|
In office 26 August 1993 – 17 November 1993 |
|
| Vice President | Moshood Abiola |
| Preceded by | Ibrahim Babangida as Military Head of State |
| Succeeded by | Sani Abacha as Military Head of State |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 May 1936 |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Shonekan |
| Religion | Christianity |
Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan (born 9 May 1936 in Lagos, Colonial Nigeria) is a British-trained Nigerian lawyer, industrialist, politician and traditional chieftain. He was appointed as interim president of Nigeria by General Ibrahim Babangida on 26 August 1993. Babangida resigned under pressure to cede control to a democratic government. Shonekan's transitional administration only lasted three months, as a palace coup led by General Sani Abacha forcefully dismantled the remaining democratic institutions and brought the government back under military control on 17 November 1993.
Prior to his political career, Shonekan was the chief executive of the United African Company of Nigeria PLC (UAC), a large Nigerian conglomerate.
Shonekan was born and raised in Lagos, the former Nigerian capital (now Abuja). The son of an Abeokuta-born civil servant, he was one of six children born into the family. Shonekan was educated at C.M.S grammar school and Igbobi College, Lagos. He also attended and received a law degree from the University of London and was later called to the bar.
He joined UAC in 1964,and was later sent to Harvard Business School. At UAC, he pursued a legal path; a few years after joining the company, he was promoted to the position of assistant legal adviser. He became a deputy adviser two years later, and soon joined the board.
In 1980, he was made chairman and chief executive of UAC. As head of UAC, he was the chief executive of the largest African-controlled company in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Shonekan was a seasoned and proven businessman with a wide network. His proven abilities and political neutrality made him a prospective leader for Babangida's council of civilians-run government, a government which was in the midst of economic turmoil and later came to a political crisis. On 2 January 1993, Shonekan assumed office as the head of government affairs under the leadership of the military president Babangida. At the time, the transitional council was designed to be the final phase leading to a scheduled hand over to an elected democratic leader.
...
Wikipedia