Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari GCFR (February 25, 1925 – December 28, 2018) was a Nigerian statesman who became the first democratically elected President of Nigeria, after the handover of power by General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military government. An experienced politician, Shagari served in a federal ministerial or cabinet post between 1958 and 1975. He worked as a teacher for a brief period before entering politics in 1951 and in 1954 was elected to the federal House of Representatives.
In 1962, he was made the Turaki of the Sokoto Caliphate by the Sultan of Sokoto Siddiq Abubakar III. Turaki means an officer at court, in this case referring to the sultan’s court at the palace of Sokoto. In addition, he held the chieftaincy titles of the Ochiebuzo of Ogbaland, the Ezediale of Aboucha and the Baba Korede of Ado Ekiti.
Shagari won the 1979 election with the help of his campaign manager, Umaru Dikko. The campaign had the support of many prominent politicians in the North and among southern minorities. The party’s motto was “One Nation, One Destiny” and was seen as the party best representing Nigeria’s diversity. Shagari ran for a second four-year term in 1983 and won the general election.
Death
On December 28, 2018 at about 6:30pm, Shehu Shagari died from a brief illness at the National Hospital, Abuja where he was admitted to and undergoing treatment before his death. It was confirmed by his grandson Bello Bala Shagari and Governor Tambuwal in similar tweets at the time of his death.
