Abdulsalami Abubakar Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids General Abdulsalami Abubakar GCFR


11th Head of State of Nigeria
In office 9 June 1998 – 29 May 1999
Chief of General Staff	Michael Akhigbe
Preceded by	Sani Abacha
Succeeded by	Olusegun Obasanjo
Minister of Defence
In office 9 June 1998 – 29 May 1999
President	Himself
Preceded by	Sani Abacha
Succeeded by	Theophilus Danjuma
Chief of Defence Staff
In office 21 December 1997 – 9 June 1998
Preceded by	Oladipo Diya
Succeeded by	Al-Amin Daggash

Personal details
Born	(1942-06-13) 13 June 1942 (age 83) Minna, Northern Region, British Nigeria (now Minna, Niger State, Nigeria)
Political party	none (military)
Spouse	Fati Lami Abubakar
Children	7
Residence	Minna
Occupation	Military officer
Awards	See text
Military service
Allegiance	Nigeria
Branch/service	Nigerian Air Force Nigerian Army
Years of service	1963–1966 (Air Force) 1966–1999 (Army)
Rank	General
Battles/wars	Nigerian Civil War 1978 South Lebanon conflict

Abdulsalami Abubakar (born 13 June 1942) is a retired Nigerian army general. He was the military leader of Nigeria from 1998 to 1999. Before that, he was the Chief of Defence Staff from 1997 to 1998. He became leader after General Sani Abacha passed away.

During his time as leader, Nigeria adopted a new version of its constitution. This new constitution allowed for elections with many political parties. He handed over power to the elected president, Olusegun Obasanjo, on 29 May 1999. Today, he leads the National Peace Committee, working for peace in Nigeria.

Early Life and Education
Military Career Journey
- Starting in the Air Force
- Serving in the Army
Leading Nigeria
- From Military Rule to Democracy
- Transferring Power to Civilians
His Impact and Legacy
Personal Life
Awards and Honours
See Also

Early Life and Education

Abdulsalami Abubakar was born on 13 June 1942, in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. His parents were Abubakar Jibrin and Fatikande Mohammed. He belongs to the Hausa ethnic group.

He went to Minna Native Authority Primary school from 1950 to 1956. For his secondary education, he attended Government College, Bida, from 1957 to 1962. He also studied at Kaduna Technical College for a short time in 1963.

Military Career Journey

Starting in the Air Force

Abdulsalami Abubakar was one of the first groups of officer cadets to join the Nigerian Air Force. He joined on 3 October 1963. From 1964 to 1966, he went to Uetersen, West Germany, for military training. When he came back to Nigeria in 1966, he moved to the Nigerian Army.

Serving in the Army

After joining the army in 1966, Abubakar became a second lieutenant in October 1967. He held various important roles throughout his career. From 1969 to 1974, he was a commanding officer. He also served in Lebanon as a commanding officer for a United Nations force from 1978 to 1979.

He became a chief instructor at the Nigerian Defence Academy from 1980 to 1982. Later, he was the commander of the 3rd Mechanised Brigade from 1985 to 1986. He also served as the military secretary of the army from 1986 to 1988. From 1990 to 1991, he was a general officer commanding the 1st mechanised division.

In 1997, General Sani Abacha appointed Abubakar as the Chief of Defence Staff. After Abacha's unexpected death on 8 June 1998, Abubakar became the military leader of Nigeria.

Leading Nigeria

From Military Rule to Democracy

Nigeria had been under military rule since 1983. General Abubakar became president on 9 June 1998, after General Abacha's death. He announced a week of national mourning.

A few days after taking office, Abubakar promised to hold elections within a year. He also promised to transfer power to an elected civilian president. He set up the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to manage the elections.

The INEC held several elections:

Local Government Areas in December 1998
State Assemblies and Governors
National Assemblies
Presidential election on 27 February 1999

Even though efforts were made for fair elections, some issues were noted by international observers.

Transferring Power to Civilians

Abdulsalam Abubakar as a military officer

In May 1999, General Abubakar kept his promise. He handed over power to the newly elected civilian president, Olusegun Obasanjo. After this, he retired from the army. This was a significant step towards democracy for Nigeria.

His Impact and Legacy

Abdulsalami Abubakar's time as leader is remembered for bringing Nigeria back to civilian rule. He helped Nigeria adopt a new constitution and held elections.

He also played a role in peace efforts in other countries. For example, he helped lead peace talks in Liberia in 2003. This effort is even shown in the movie Pray the Devil Back to Hell. He also led a group observing the 2002 presidential election in Zimbabwe.