On this day, May 29 1999, Ogun-born politician, Olusegun Obasanjo took office as the President of Nigeria in 1999, ending multiple decades of military rule that began in 1966 and had been interrupted only by a brief period of democracy from 1979 to 1983.
Several military juntas ruled Nigeria and there were brief moments of democratic rule from 1979 to 1983 with Alhaji Shehu Shagari.
The last military president was General Abdulsalam Abubakar after the demise of General Sani Abacha in 1998. Abubakar vowed that the military would vacate the space for democracy to thrive and a new constitution was adopted on May 5, 1999.
Elections were held and retired Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who had previously governed Nigeria as a military ruler, was elected the new president.
